Rest equals continued success for La Cañada High girls’ volleyball versus Temple City

LA CAÑADA — So far, the La Cañada High girls’ volleyball team hasn’t shown the least bit of rust.

Participating in only their second match over the last 21 days, the Spartans rolled to a Rio Hondo League victory, defeating visiting Temple City 25-6, 25-10, 25-6 Tuesday afternoon in a match that lasted all of 52 minutes.

The win was the second in league for the Spartans (5-2, 2-0), who defeated Blair (25-2, 25-7, 25-15) Thursday in what was the team’s first action since a prolonged break that began Sept. 17.

“I think the rest has been a good thing for us,” said La Cañada High senior outside hitter Taylor Page, who finished with seven kills and one ace. “In the past, we’ve rushed into league and haven’t done as well.

“It wasn’t like we were off doing nothing – it wasn’t a vacation. We were scrimmaging and that seems to have paid off.”

La Cañada didn’t really receive much resistance from a young Temple City squad.

Perhaps the Rams’ best and worst effort came in the first game.

Temple City (1-6, 0-2) scored six of the set’s first nine points in taking a 6-3 advantage fueled by two aces from Darcee Young.

On the following possession, La Cañada’s Jenna Gray (eight kills, five aces and one block) answered back the Rams’ charge with a kill to bring the home team within 6-4.

What was unknown at the time is that Gray’s kill kick-started an amazing game-closing 22-0 run that delivered La Cañada a 25-6 victory in a set that took 10 minutes.

“I think we had a lot of confidence going into this match and once we got a few kills going, then we had that run,” said Spartans senior setter Leigh Sclafani, who finished with a match-high 25 assists. “You just have to have a go-getter attitude.”

La Cañada’s run was spear-headed by senior defensive specialist Taylor Kramer, who served 21 consecutive times without an error, while tallying seven of her match-high eight aces. Perhaps fittingly, Kramer concluded the game with an ace.

La Cañada received its biggest challenge from the Rams in the second game, as Temple City responded to a quick 4-0 deficit by scoring three of the next five points to climb within, 6-3.

Temple City later scored four straight points, three via Spartans’ errors, to close the gap to 13-8.

From that point, however, La Cañada closed out the set with a 12-2 run that concluded on a Rams’ hitting error.

“For us, it’s about forcing teams to play at our level,” Sclafani said. “We can’t play down to their level.”

The Spartans, who received six kills and two blocks from Megan Arnold, were similarly dominant in winning the third game, 25-6.

The victory sends La Cañada into the league’s first showdown Thursday at South Pasadena at 3:30 p.m.

“It’s been a good rivalry with South Pasadena the last few years,” Page said. “They’re good, we’re good and we know it’s going to be a tough match.”