Chatsworth, Sylmar Reach City Finals : Girls’ 4-A volleyball: Chancellors roll past San Pedro and will meet Palisades in the final.

San Pedro High entered Tuesday night’s City Section 4-A Division girls’ volleyball semifinal as a mystery to Chatsworth.

Except for a quick glance by Coach Bud Dow during an early-season tournament, none of the Chancellors knew anything about the sixth-seeded Pirates or had seen them in action.

But thanks to Jennifer Joseph and Jennifer Hodges, Chatsworth didn’t need to do any scouting as the Chancellors defeated San Pedro, 15-4, 15-12, 15-6, to advance to the City Section final for the first time since 1989. Chatsworth will face Palisades, a five-game winner over Roosevelt, in the final Saturday night at Occidental College.

“I don’t really believe in scouting,” Dow said. “Half of what you learn is wrong or it can be misinterpreted. I only had a couple of clues but I figured they weren’t as strong and balanced as we were.”

Dow’s assumptions were correct as Chatsworth (11-4) jumped to a big lead in each game and maintained its intensity in the first and final games.

Only in the second game, after the Chancellors had a 12-3 lead, did they suffer a letdown. San Pedro scored nine unanswered points to tie the score before a kill by Nicole Snell and a block and another kill by Hodges ended the threat.

“We slacked off a little bit,” Hodges said. “We were playing well up until then. We just had to get it back.”

San Pedro (13-3) couldn’t combat the jumping ability of Joseph (10 kills) and Hodges (six kills). The Pirates also couldn’t get the ball past Hodges, who had 10 blocks. “That’s why they call her position middle blocker,” Dow said. “The last three games in the playoffs she’s really gotten her timing down.”

Hodges had 13 blocks in a three-game victory over Van Nuys in the quarterfinals last week. Christina Kumor (nine kills) was the only consistent threat for the Pirates.