SPRING ROUNDUP : No. 1 Loyola Plays It Safe and Stumbles

Playing it safe doesn’t always pay off.

The Loyola boys’ volleyball squad played a match uncharacteristic to their style Monday and lost to host Harvard-Westlake, 15-12, 13-15, 16-14, 15-8.

Lasting about three hours, the Southern Section Division I match was worthy of a final, pitting the two top teams in a Mission League contest that drew more than 200 spectators. The result snapped No. 1 Loyola’s 11-game winning streak and puts both teams in a position to share the league championship. The Wolverines (11-1, 10-1) dropped their only match to Loyola (11-1, 8-1) earlier in the season.

The Cubs’ aggressive, beach-style jump serves were absent, and in some instances, what should have been sure serves fell short instead.

“The jump serve is a high-risk serve, so we tried to keep the ball down and in play,” said Cubs Coach Derrick Lucero.

But even then, the Cubs gave up several key points on communication blunders that had setters crashing into each other over easy air balls.

“We had problems focusing,” Lucero said.

The turning point came in the hourlong second game when the Cubs came back from a 9-2 deficit to tie it at 10, then held off six game points before Dan Farmer hit the ball into the net. Farmer spiked 12 kills in the match. Wolverine Matt Sebree led all spikers with 30 kills while the Cubs’ leading scorer was Brad Walsh with 20 kills.

VOLLEYBALL

Bell 3, Jefferson 0--The unstoppable Eagles were challenged briefly Wednesday in the first game but then rolled through the next two to beat their hosts for an Eastern League victory, 19-17, 15-7, 15-12. Spiker Cesar Rentaria dominated the Bell court with nine kills and four blocks, and George Ortega followed with eight kills and four blocks.

Garfield 3, Locke 0--Bulldog hitters Arturo Sanchez, Jose Rocha and Ricardo Garabi each spiked 11 kills in a Central League win Wednesday, 15-6, 15-5, 15-13. Bulldog setter Luis Munoz made 43 assists.

Bell 3, South Gate 1--Dickie Purcell led the Eagles with 16 kills and 11 blocks in a tough league victory at home Monday, 15-10, 15-10, 13-15, 18-16. Teammate Ishmael Berver spiked for 12 kills and blocked seven times while Rudy Flores tallied 12 kills and eight blocks.

Garfield 3, Huntington Park 2--Munoz made a school record 79 assists in a league match Monday, 15-9, 10-15, 15-6, 13-15, 15-11. Cisko Sianez led Bulldog spikers with 19 kills. Sanchez scored on 18 kills and Rocha on 16 kills.

SWIMMING

South Gate 124, Roosevelt 70--Ram Danny Dennis won the 100-yard freestyle in 58 seconds for the undefeated Rams in their final meet Monday, capping the East-North League championship. The boys took first place in all events except the 100 backstroke. Ram Bruce Monroy, who is expected to be a City finalist, won the 100 butterfly in 57 seconds.

South Gate 126, Roosevelt 53--Senior Ram divers Rosa Sandoval and Carla Chairez, who were the only two girls from the league to qualify for City finals last season, finished the season Monday with one loss. The Rams share the league championship with Garfield and Eagle Rock.

Garfield 93, Bell 80--Bulldog Johnny Vallejo finished the season undefeated in diving Monday. League diving finals are Tuesday at South Gate Park.

Garfield 114, Bell 64--The Bulldogs swept all 12 events Monday with Martha Ramos bettering her own time in the 50 freestyle, timing 32.7 seconds. League preliminaries are Monday at Roosevelt High.

SOFTBALL

Roosevelt 6, Locke 0--Liz Ballesteros struck out 17 batters and gave up two hits in a Southeastern Conference victory Thursday. Roughrider Jennifer Elizando hit a two-run homer.

Lincoln 5, Marshall 0--Cristina Talamantes was the winning pitcher in a Northwest League game Thursday. Tiger Nguyet Nguyen was the winning pitcher in Lincoln’s 11-0 victory over Belmont Tuesday.

Roosevelt 22, Fremont 3--Winning pitcher Ana Casique had two hits, three RBIs and scored four runs to lead the Roughriders on Monday in Central League action. Teammate Hilda Perales had three hits, including a homer and a triple for two RBIs.

Garfield 5, Jordan 4--Jordan gave up a four-run lead in the fourth inning and then the game in the fifth as Garfield capitalized on errors for an Eastern League win Monday. Jordan’s Veronica Palmer hit a home run and a double and Victoria Gutierrez hit a double for two RBIs.

Fremont 17, Huntington Park 16--Pathfinder Patty Munoz hit the winning run in the final inning to beat the visiting Spartans in a Central League game April 15. Teammate Lourdes Diaz hit two home runs.