Sylmar Maintains Composure, Puts Poly in the Past

The same teams, with the same seedings, in the same round of the playoffs.

It could have been 1995 all over again.

But it wasn’t. This time top-seeded Sylmar High held off a spirited comeback by No. 4-seeded Poly and staged a critical rally of its own to earn a 15-7, 10-15, 15-8, 15-3 victory over the Parrots in a City Section 3-A Division semifinal match Tuesday night at Sylmar.

Mindful of a five-game collapse in last season’s semifinal against Poly, the Spartans afforded the Parrots no chance at another upset.

“We had to win,” Sylmar outside hitter Patty Mendoza said. “We should have won last year. We put ourselves under our own pressure. We had to win, we had to win, and we’re going to win.”

Sylmar (16-0), 3-A champion in 1994, advances to the championship match against Canoga Park at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Occidental College.

The key for the Spartans was the third game, when they rallied from a 6-0 deficit. Mendoza and Ingrid Ariza each notched a pair of kills to get within 6-4. Poly committed five hitting errors late in the game to help Sylmar score 15 of the last 17 points.

“We were down and we came back. We kept our poise,” Sylmar Coach Bob Thomson said.

“And once we came back, the key was to keep the pressure on.”

In the fourth game, Poly was within 4-3, but the Spartans reeled off the last 11 points.

Mendoza led Sylmar with 19 kills and 24 digs, while Ariza had 16 kills, two aces and 11 digs.

Setter Sandra Smiley had 38 assists and four aces and Julissa Adame added six kills and three blocks.

Poly (10-6), which broke 4-4 and 6-6 ties to win the second game, got eight kills and 13 digs from Edythe Seflin and seven kills from Gabby Gallardo. Alma Delin made 15 digs.

“We had to come in with a positive attitude,” Mendoza said. “We just had to be positive; it works every time.”

The win was Sylmar’s third this season against Poly, which finished second to the Spartans in the Valley Pac-8 Conference’s East Valley League.

Canoga Park d. Hollywood, 16-14, 15-6, 12-15, 12-15, 15-11--The Hunters got complacent after taking a 2-0 lead, but outlasted the Shieks (12-1) in a 3-A Division semifinal match at Canoga Park.

Janelle Balzer had 21 kills and 33 digs for the Hunters (11-5).

Sandy Carr added 40 assists and Joy Salamanca had 28 digs.