SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : Persistent Practice Makes Perfect

For the past four weeks the Bishop Montgomery High volleyball team had prepared for one player--Campbell Hall’s Dylan Herrick.

The Knights’ efforts came to fruition Wednesday night with a 4-15, 15-7, 9-15, 15-4, 15-7 victory over the Vikings in a Division III semifinal match at Harvard-Westlake High.

Bishop Montgomery (16-0) advances to the final for the first time in school history.

The Knights play Santa Ynez, which defeated San Marino, 15-4, 15-12, 15-4, Saturday at Cerritos College.

Although Herrick finished with 24 kills, seven aces and four blocks, Bishop Montgomery’s defense neutralized the 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter in the final two games.

“I told my guys, [Herrick’s] going to get his kills,” Knight Coach Mark McGuiness said. “I thought if we could get to him every fourth time, we’d be all right.”

It was the fourth time Campbell Hall (17-2) has lost in the semifinal round, including last year’s three-game defeat by Santa Ynez.

“We knew we had one more step [to the final],” Herrick said. “We played great. They just played better.”

After losing the first game, Bishop Montgomery abandoned its regular rotation and switched to one it designed to stop Herrick.

Knight middle blocker Robert Landers (13 blocks, 12 digs, 13 kills) shadowed Herrick from then on.

“I could tell toward the end where the ball was going,” Landers said. “I knew they were going to him because he was the only one who could bail them out.”

Viking setter Tim Nollan suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the fifth game, but completed the match and finished with 52 assists.