Chatsworth Stages a Block Party

Chatsworth High’s roofing company, reduced to a sideshow since the graduation of All-City middle blockers Jeff Campbell, Mark Root and Raphael Tulino, was back in business Tuesday and Westchester was out of luck.

Chatsworth defeated the Comets, 15-8, 15-8, 15-11, in a City Section 4-A Division volleyball semifinal at Chatsworth. The Chancellors did not pass Westchester, nor did they dig out a victory, as was often the case this season in their march to the West Valley League title.

This time, they stuffed Westchester.

“Our blocking was excellent,” Chatsworth Coach Steve Berk said. “Our blocking took them out of the game.”

Blocking has not been Chatsworth’s strong suit this season. The Chancellors (16-1) have a tall front line and strong hitters, but it is widely agreed that they won their eighth consecutive league title because of superior passers and servers.

The passing and serving again was in fine form Tuesday, but it was Chatsworth’s play at the net that stifled Westchester, one of the stronger hitting teams in the City.

“At the beginning of the season, we were not blocking this well and we had a lot of close games,” Chatsworth outside hitter Greg Weaver said.

But with the 6-foot, 1-inch Weaver, 6-5 John Ross and 6-3 Mike Millett back on the block, Chatsworth games are considerably more lopsided. Weaver had a team-high 10 blocks, Ross had 9 and Millett added 7 as the Chancellors denied the Comets 36 times.

“We blocked so many balls, we were all over the net,” Ross said. “If we can block those guys, we can block anyone.”

Westchester led, 6-4, in the first game, but Chatsworth scored 10 of the last 14 points to win the game and carried that momentum through the last two.

Chatsworth jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second on two spikes and a block by Ross. Westchester closed to within four points, but Larry Fernandez, who led Chatsworth with 11 kills, had three spikes and a stuff.

The Chancellors took a 7-2 lead in the third, withstood a Comet rally that tied the score, 9-9, then scored six of the last eight to win.

Erik Merkel added nine kills for Chatsworth.

Chatsworth (16-1) will meet Palisades, a three-game winner over Granada Hills in the other semifinal, for the championship Friday night at UCLA’s Wooden Center. Chatsworth has appeared in five consecutive 4-A championship games and won the title in 1981 and ’84.

Chatsworth lost to Palisades, 15-13, in the Palisades tournament’s semifinals earlier this year.

High school volleyball playoffs roundup. See story, Page 14.