Spikers Swept Away in Semis

When it was over, Palisades High players huddled together and consoled each other in the middle of the court. A few players, like seniors Alina Kheyfets and Kaylie McCallister, cried. The rest could muster only half-hearted smiles and blank stares. For the end came so abruptly that it took time for reality to set in. Coming off an upset victory at third-seeded Verdugo Hills, the Dolphins’ girls varsity volleyball team was riding high heading into Tuesday night’s City Section semifinal match against second-seeded Taft. However, the host Toreadors had something Pali’s previous opponent did not–versatility–and they used it to full advantage in sweeping the sixth-seeded Dolphins out of the playoffs, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17. “They definitely have more talent on the court [than Verdugo],” said Pali’s Teal Johnson, a sophomore outside hitter. “Verdugo had one good hitter whereas this team had two good outsides and a middle. They were on their home court, they had the crowd with them and they played well. I think we could have beaten them but it just wasn’t our night.” Taft (30-7) started fast, racing to a 19-7 lead in the first game. Pali began serving short to draw the defense up and the strategy worked as the Dolphins crept to within 23-16. However, they had fallen too far behind and Taft’s Kameron Thomas ended the game with a kill. The second game went back and forth, with neither team able to string together more than three consecutive points. With the game tied 22-22 and momentum in the match hanging in the balance, Taft’s Jessica Duran hit through a block, teammate Savannah Thomas served an ace and Samantha Potter followed with a crosscourt kill to give the Toreadors a commanding two-game lead. “It would’ve been a huge momentum turn if we could’ve pulled that second game out,” PaliHi coach Matt Shubin said. “But I give Taft credit. We knew what they were going to do, we just couldn’t stop it. They passed better than we thought they would and they played better defense. That’s the best team we’ve played all season.” Taft and Palisades did not play each other during the regular season or in tournaments, but Shubin studied film of the Toreadors and Taft coach Arman Mercado talked to Venice coach Alan Hunt and Sylmar coach Bob Thomson for a breakdown on Palisades. “The only thing I was told is that when Pali is on they can be real tough but when they’re off, they’re off,” Mercado said. “Our plan was to be patient and let them make mistakes. We had added motivation too because [Palisades] beat us here in the semis two years ago and some of our girls still remember that.” Pali libero Rachael Erhlich said the loss, though disappointing, cannot diminish a successful season. “I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made since the start of the year. It’s sad that the season is over but Taft had a lot of height and that caused us to lose a lot of points.” If losing game two did not deflate the Dolphins, the start of the third game did. Johnson was blocked on the first point and the Toreadors proceeded to win 11 of the next 12 points to take an unsurmountable 12-1 lead. “In rally scoring it’s really difficult to make up that kind of deficit,” Mercado said. “That’s why I kept my girls playing aggressively. I didn’t want us to let them back in it.” Sophomore middle blocker Alex Lunder led Pali with 10 kills and three blocks, Ehrlich had 12 digs and Kaylie McCallister served four aces. “Taft was a lot tougher than I thought,” Lunder admitted. “We were all a little tired at first from the long bus ride but we played ourselves into the match and had a chance to win the second game.” Jenna McAllister saved the first match point. On the next one, Duran hit a clean kill down the middle of the court to propel Taft into Friday’s finals at Occidental College. The best news for Palisades (17-4) is that Shubin told his players before the match that he would return to coach next fall. If he does, it will be the first time in seven seasons that the Dolphins will have the same coach as the year before. “This was a great experience for me and it’s a great group of girls,” said Shubin, who has also been hired to coach the boys’ team in the spring. “The seniors showed amazing leadership in adjusting to a new coach and the rest of the players are returning so Palisades is on its way back.”