Sylmar Doesn’t Turn Into Pumpkin, Wins : Volleyball: Poly puts up a struggle, but Spartans claim conference title with five-game victory.

At the stroke of midnight, Sylmar High’s Cinderella season was somehow still alive.

Anne Guevarra had 29 kills and Sylmar played its usual stingy defense to defeat Poly, 8-15, 16-14, 15-0, 7-15, 15-8, in a Valley Pac-8 Conference volleyball match Tuesday night at Sylmar.

The Spartans (12-0, 9-0 in conference play) wrapped up the Valley Pac-8 title and likely will be named the top-seeded team in the City Section 3-A Division playoffs, which begin Monday.

“Tonight told us what seed we deserve,” said the 5-foot-1 Guevarra, who hit through, over and around any blocks Poly (9-4, 7-3) tried to put up.

Scrappy defense also helped the smaller Spartans, who don’t have a player taller than 5 foot 6 on their squad. Three players notched at least 21 digs for Sylmar.

“That’s our trademark,” said Coach Bob Thomson, whose Spartans won the City 3-A title last season.

Led by Latoya Seeley (13 kills) and Marlena McLurkin (nine kills), the Parrots, who could still receive a decent playoff seeding, looked sharp in taking games one and four.

But the Spartans, who also had 13 kills from Patricia Mendoza, were simply steadier on offense and stingier on defense.