La Cañada girls’ volleyball staves off San Marino in league opener
SAN MARINO — When La Cañada High went on a road trip to San Marino to begin the Rio Hondo League girls’ volleyball season, the Titans had not beaten the Spartans in more than a decade.
On Thursday, it appeared La Cañada was headed for a loss against the host Titans before the Spartans forced a fifth game, survived match-point and then served the Titans yet another defeat to claim victory, 20-25, 25-19, 18-25, 27-25, 16-14.
“We are so excited,” Spartans senior Megan Reilly said. “We are a really young team and we started a little rough, but to have a first league win is amazing. We’re so pumped up. We’re very proud of ourselves for fighting through all five games.”
After Reilly tied the score at 13 in the fifth with two consecutive kills from the outside, the ensuing serve from La Cañada (4-7, 1-0 in league) went long. This meant San Marino (15-4-2, 0-1) would serve for the match, but that serve also sailed long.
Up to the service line stepped Spartan Doyeon Kim, who put the ball into the deep right corner of the floor for an ace. Then, after a Titans timeout, the senior served up another ace to end the game and claim the match.
“I love moments like that,” Kim said. “I’m never scared of missing a serve or anything, because I trust myself. I trust my reps. I trust my teammates to help me through it. It was a good fight and I’m proud of us.”
It was a testament to the Spartans’ fortitude that there was a fifth game at all, given that the fourth game saw San Marino build as much as a six-point advantage twice. The Titans clung to the advantage into the late stages and called a timeout after an ace by Spartan Prudence Sum closed La Cañada to within one at 23-22.
Following the stoppage, the Titans hit long, tying it up before another ace by Sum gave her team game-point that went away when the Spartans hit the ball out. Sophomore Chloe Kerstein then had a kill from the outside to give the Spartans another game-point, only to see the game tied again at 25 on an outside kill by Titans heavy hitter Sofia Sanchez. However, the ensuing Titans serve went wide and Reilly forced the fifth game with a kill from the outside.
“We are one of those teams you really just can’t beat. We are going to fight until the end. We pushed through, like we always do,” Kim said of the comeback in game four.
La Cañada was led in kills by Reilly and Kerstein, who shared the honor with 10 apiece. Reilly also contributed a team-high seven aces. On the defensive side, senior Julia Harbolt had 15 digs and sophomore Elizabeth Gannon had 10.
“I’m glad my team wasn’t the one to end that streak,” La Cañada Coach Chris Sullivan said. “Hopefully we can continue that the next time we play them.”
San Marino was paced in the attack by Sanchez and her 16 kills.
“[Sanchez] plays for the club I’ve coached for,” Sullivan said. “She is a great hitter and with those quick sets it’s tough for our block to get out there.”
The Titans won the opening game, which was especially meaningful because it was the first game San Marino had taken from the Spartans since game four of a 3-1 loss back on Oct. 25, 2012.
Key in the opening game was a 7-0 Titans run early on to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point advantage.
In game two, La Cañada trailed, 18-16, before the Spartans went on a 9-0 run fueled by the play of Reilly. The senior started the flurry with an outside kill to get herself to the service line, where she served up three aces as part of the run.
Game three saw San Marino take control and stay out in front throughout while the Spartans were plagued by late mistakes.
Up next for La Cañada is a nonleague match against Flintridge Sacred Heart on Saturday as part of the Dig For a Cure cancer awareness effort. The Spartans will return to Rio Hondo League play on Tuesday at Blair and will have a return date with the Titans on Oct. 20 at home.