VOLLEYBALL : Roosevelt Girls Rally to Beat Venice in 5th Game

The Roosevelt High girls’ volleyball team has had little trouble putting away lesser opponents in five-game matches this season. But Thursday, Roosevelt was the team that faced a rough ride.

The Roughriders stood at the brink of elimination from the playoffs, trailing 13-6 in the fifth and deciding game, when they rallied for nine consecutive points to defeat Venice 15-13 in a City Section 4-A Division quarterfinal match at Roosevelt.

Roosevelt beat the Gondoliers 14-16, 15-7, 13-15, 15-10, 15-13 to advance to a semifinal match Wednesday against Palisades, which defeated Chatsworth. Roosevelt improved to 17-1 overall, while Venice ended its season at 13-3.

“Both teams played outstanding,” Venice Coach Myra Einberg said. “This was a great match.”

Earlier this season, Roosevelt Coach Ken Maki expressed fears that his team might not have developed enough of a killer instinct to handle the tough playoff competition. His fears came true in the first game.

Leading 13-7, Roosevelt loosened its stranglehold on the lead and Venice outscored them 9-1 to win the game. “We should have blown them out, but we eased off,” Roosevelt junior Liz Ballesteros said.

Lisa Jacobs, the 1992 Eastern League Most Valuable Player, who had 19 kills and four blocks over the five games, had four kills in the second game to help Roosevelt even the match at one game each. Setter Gabby Gallegos, who had 17 assists, four kills and four aces, served two aces in the second game.

The third game showcased two of the teams’ best players. Roosevelt junior Leona Jacobs (14 kills, one block) had six kills in the game. But Venice senior Sessann Orne (18 kills, nine blocks) dwarfed Jacobs’ efforts with eight kills and three blocks to bring the Gondoliers back from a 13-10 deficit to win 15-13.

“Sessann did her job,” Einberg said. “She dominated at the net.”

Trailing two games to one, Roosevelt was on the verge of elimination by an underdog team. But Gallegos, Roosevelt’s team leader, coupled four aces with four kills by Ballesteros in the fourth game to prolong the match with a 15-10 victory.

“These girls just wouldn’t quit,” Maki said.

Venice wouldn’t quit either. Sparked by the gritty play of Jennifer Douglas (six digs, four kills and four aces), the Gondoliers jumped out to what appeared to be an insurmountable 13-6 lead in the final game. “When Erica (Vargas) dove and picked up that hit by (Orne) our team came back to life,” Maki said.

Roosevelt responded by scoring the game’s final nine points to win 15-13, led by Lisa Jacobs’ eight kills.

“I knew if we got the service back, we could catch them,” Jacobs said. “It doesn’t matter who we play,” Maki said. “If these girls want it, we can win it.”