CITY 3-A VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP : Monroe Makes Short Work of Verdugo Hills

It took the Monroe High boys’ volleyball team only one hour to capture its first City Section 3-A Division title, a 15-3, 15-9, 15-12 victory over Verdugo Hills on Friday at Pepperdine University.

The surprisingly easy win brought tears to the eyes of Monroe Coach Linda Gayton, who started the program four years ago.

“We’ve been ready for this match for two weeks,” Gayton said while clutching her first championship trophy in 20 years of coaching. “The boys told me at the beginning of the season that this would be their year. I guess they knew what they were saying.”

The victory capped an unbeaten season for the Vikings, who finished 17-0 and lost only one game in the playoffs. Verdugo Hills, playing in its first City volleyball championship in more than a decade, finished 16-1.

The teams had split a pair of pool matches earlier this season in the Venice tournament, but the Dons offered little resistance Friday. Monroe’s dominating front line of seniors Brad Packer (6-foot-4), Matt Johnson (6-1) and Pierre Masequesmay (6-0) kept Verdugo Hills off balance.

Masequesmay finished with 11 kills, 11 digs and five blocks. Packer added seven kills and six blocks, and Johnson had seven kills. Pierre’s cousin, outside hitter Jean Masequesmay, finished with 10 blocks.

“I certainly thought winning the City title would take more than this,” Pierre said. “They fought us hard, but we just had control of all three games. This has to be our best match of the season. I know we were prepared coming in.”

Verdugo Hills not only lacked height, the Dons had a manpower crisis. Verdugo Hills has no player taller than 5-10, carries eight players on the varsity and was further slowed when outside hitter Dale Domingo was forced to play despite an injured ankle.

“I can’t make any excuses,” Coach Dino Stirpe said. “We were really off, and their net game was really on. This is really disappointing.”

Monroe jumped to a 7-1 lead and cruised to a first-game win. The Vikings broke an 8-8 tie in the second game, scoring seven of the next eight points. The Dons took their first lead in the third game but were unable to hold on to their 10-9 advantage.