Poway Finds A Game, Wins Tournament

Late-season tournaments in Los Angeles have been a mainstay of Poway’s volleyball schedule. The theory, according to Coach Larry Higgins, is that the more intense competition gets his team ready for the playoffs.

They reach a higher level, the theory goes, and the recent past bears that out: Higgins has coached Poway for three years, and the Titans have made the San Diego Section 3-A finals two of those years.

But riots in the wake of the verdict in the Rodney King beating case wiped out last weekend’s Redondo Classic, so Higgins scrambled to find a replacement tournament. He found it in the Raider Invitational at Southwest High School.

Then it was postponed for fear of protests.

But the final tournament before the playoffs was completed on Saturday and Poway emerged as champion with a 15-10 victory over second-ranked Torrey Pines.

It was a sweet victory for the fifth-ranked Titans because:

- Five of the county’s top six teams were participating.

-Torrey Pines had beaten Poway twice this season in four games.

- It shows the young Titans--with only two seniors--are capable of defeating teams that have beaten them.

Higgins hedged on its importance. “It’s not a five-game match, it’s just one game. There are so many variables. You’re playing pool games to 11 (points), and it’s just a one-game match--a missed serve is crucial.

“Our goal the last two games was to let the other teams make mistakes, not us make the mistakes.”

And they did. Tied at 7-7, Poway scored three in a row on Torrey Pines mistakes, either hitting long or crossing the net. Six of Poway’s final eight points came on Torrey Pines’ hitting mistakes.

Bolstered by the play of all-tournament selections Charley Kamen and Charlie Jackson, Poway reached the finals by scoring a 15-11 victory over sixth-ranked Bonita Vista, while Torrey Pines advanced with a 15-12 decision over another Palomar League team, fourth-ranked San Dieguito.