DiSimone Carries New Highlanders : Volleyball: Senior hammers out 28 kills as Granada Hills High holds first place with four-game victory over Chatsworth.

The cast of characters for the Granada Hills High boys’ volleyball team has changed almost completely from last season’s squad, which went undefeated during the regular season and advanced to the City Section 4-A semifinals.

But if this team is still a work in progress, two threads of continuity run between the squads: senior Mike DiSimone and victories.

Thanks in large measure to DiSimone, the Highlanders continued their winning ways Wednesday against Northwest Valley Conference rival Chatsworth, 15-6, 11-15, 17-15, 15-3.

“We thought this was one of our more important matches,” DiSimone said.

“We hadn’t played in a week because of spring break and we hadn’t played (Chatsworth) yet. But we played great.”

DiSimone in particular.

The outside hitter is 6-foot-5 and possesses both formidable power and an excellent vertical leap.

“You have to triple-block him,” Chancellor Coach Steve West said.

But even sending three blockers was no guarantee of stopping DiSimone, who raised a triumphant right fist into the air after most of his match-high 28 kills and five blocks.

He had four kills during an 8-1 run by Granada Hills late in the third game that gave his team a 14-12 advantage. But after Chatsworth regained the lead and threatened to take control of the match, DiSimone stood in the wings while teammates came to the fore.

Mark Muir, Dan Elbert and Earnest Yun each had a crucial kill as Granada Hills scored the final three points of the game, with Yun’s emphatic spike prompting the Granada Hills substitutes to leap triumphantly out of their seats--one so joyously that he knocked his chair over.

Chatsworth players took the kill like a punch to the solar plexus, and never regained their collective breaths as the Highlanders cruised to victory the fourth game.

“We definitely lost the momentum for the fourth game after that third-game loss,” West said.

In losing, the Chancellors (4-3, 3-2 in conference play) also squandered an opportunity to share a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Granada Hills and Taft.

“That would have been tough,” Granada Hills Coach Tom Harp said.

Not to worry. Thanks to DiSimone’s big hitting and a scrappy team effort, Granada Hills (7-1, 5-0) stands alone in first place.

Granada Hills setter Victor Chang had 55 assists, Elbert had 14 kills and Yun chipped in with 11.

Scott Palmer recorded 18 kills for Chatsworth, Tony Pray added 12 kills and Tony Abel had 42 assists.