CITY VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : University Ends Palisades Reign With 3-2 Win

The Palisades High School boys’ volleyball team failed to defend its City 4-A championship Friday night, losing to top-seeded L.A. University, 17-15, 15-10, 7-15, 3-15, 15-8, in front of 350 at Cal State Northridge.

Palisades rallied behind the play of Colin Wellman, a 6-foot-3 junior middle-blocker, and John Lee, a senior outside hitter who finished with 18 kills and 10 blocks.

University, however, regained its composure and won the match by taking control of the fifth, and deciding, game. The Warriors scored seven consecutive points in the final game to take a 13-6 lead and eventually end Palisades’ reign.

“It wasn’t any one thing that won this for us,” University Coach Neal Newman said. “It was sheer determination and courage.”

University trailed, 6-4, in the fifth game, then rallied for the victory.

“Our guys just got nervous for some reason, we weren’t hitting or setting well,” said University setter Fierdy Chen.

University was led by senior outside hitter Philip Tongsak and senior middle blocker Chris Canning. Tongsak, 6 feet 1, had 17 kills. Canning had eight kills and eight blocks.

“They played well . . . but I give my guys credit for coming back the way they did,” Palisades Coach Howard Enstedt said.

Eric Mai had 31 kills and 14 blocks to lead Venice in its upset of top-seeded Marshall in the City 3-A championship, 6-15, 15-8, 15-10, 13-15, 15-4.

“After falling behind in the first game, my players were real nervous,” said first-year Coach Allen Hunt. “But they came out real fired up in Game 2 after I told them to move more and cover the outside.”