Lycee International de L.A. volleyball ends St. Monica Academy’s run of International League dominance
BURBANK — Seventy-one and no longer counting.
A few minutes after recording its biggest win of the season and perhaps ever, the Lycee International de Los Angeles girls’ volleyball team wasn’t aware it had ended a lengthy streak.
After posting a 25-23, 25-20, 24-26, 25-18 International League home victory against St. Monica Academy on Tuesday at Olive Park Recreation Center, Lycee International began to realize the significance of its victory.
Behind 13 kills from Chloe Whyte and 12 from Dylan Priestley, Lycee International ended St. Monica’s run of 71 consecutive league victories, which was tied for 10th all-time in CIF Southern Section history according to the CIF record book.
“I honestly had no idea, but they have a great team,” said Whyte, a senior outside hitter. “They’ve always been the one team we’ve lost to, so I think we were determined to finally beat them.
“We feel like we have a lot of very good players and we’ve been working well together. We knew we’d have to fight for everything to beat them.”
St. Monica has won seven straight league championships, along with winning the CIF Southern Section Division X championship in 2015.
“This was probably for the league title, too,” Said St. Monica coach Darren Bradley, a former All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Coach of the Year. “If the streak ending was going to happen, then it was probably going to happen this year. We had a great run and we’ll look to learn from it and start another streak.”
LILA coach Leonardo Granato, like Whyte, also wasn’t aware that the Lions (6-1 overall and in league) had ended the run by the Crusaders (9-4, 3-1).
“I didn’t know they had won 71 in a row, but I’m not really surprised because they have some good players and are well-coached,” Granato said. “They have a super team.
“Our players have definitely learned how to fight through things. If we made an error here or there, our seniors would come in and tell them to flush it away. It’s a big win for our team and it will definitely give us more confidence the rest of the season.”
The Crusaders appeared sluggish in the first two sets, leading to the Lions storming out to a 2-0 lead.
“We just started off slowly in those first two sets and we tried to make a comeback,” Bradley said. “It’s something we’ve been able to do before, too. Give Lycee credit, though, because [Whyte and Priestley] made things happen for them.”
After dropping the third set, the Lions jumped out to a 6-4 lead on a kill by Priestley, a junior outside hitter. An ace by Priestley made it 15-7 before the Crusaders made a final ditch effort to keep their streak intact. The Crusaders closed to within 16-14 on a kill by Cate Golbranson before the Lions finished up on a 9-4 run to close out the historic win.
St. Monica took a 13-8 lead in the third set on a kill by Ana Romero (seven kills). LILA tied it at 8 and St. Monica went on a 11-2 run to make it 19-10. The Lions scored six straight points to pull to within 19-16 and tied it at 24 on a kill by Whyte. St. Monica then got one kill each from Golbranson and Romero to force a fourth set.
Priestley and Whyte combined for 10 kills in the second set and Whyte had two of her five aces. Priestley added three aces in the set, as well. An ace by Priestley made it 12-7 and a kill by Whyte gave the Lions a 24-19 lead and Priestley ended it with a kill down the right side.
A kill by Golbranson gave the Crusaders a 15-12 lead in the first set. The Lions later took a 24-21 lead. Whyte ended it with a kill.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
