Highland Flattens Quartz Hill With Lobs

It was tough to tell which was more damaging to the Quartz Hill High boys’ volleyball team.

The physics class in which standout Darren Haub injured himself Tuesday? Or the physics lesson that Highland taught the Rebels during a 15-7, 15-12, 15-12 Golden League victory Wednesday at Quartz Hill.

Highland showed that a volleyball doesn’t have to be hit with staggering power to be effective. Instead, delicate lobs did the trick over single, double and triple blocks that Quartz Hill attempted at the net.

The math added up for the Bulldogs, who won their 43rd consecutive league match and have not lost to a league opponent since dropping the 1993 regular-season finale to Canyon.

Tom Haight delivered 23 kills for Highland (6-1, 3-0 in league play), including at least five lobs. He credited Highland Coach Mike Bird for the strategy.

“Mr. Bird told me they’d have a triple block and it would be a good idea to dink a lot,” Haight said.

The Rebels (5-2, 2-1), ranked 10th in Southern Section Division I, played without Haub, who injured his right hand Tuesday in physics class while trying to jam a thermometer through a rubber stopper.

The thermometer broke and Haub, an All-Golden League selection last season, required three stitches to his hitting hand.

“Bad timing,” Haub said before the match. “I’ve started the past [four] seasons and now we finally have a chance to beat them.”

The Bulldogs didn’t allow many chances.

They served well in the first game and streaked to a 7-2 lead. Karl Buckman helped out with five of his 13 kills in the game.

Quartz Hill awoke in the second game with a serve of its own. Haub’s replacement, Ryan Comer, jump-served for eight consecutive points, two on aces, for an 8-1 lead.

Then Haight came alive.

With Quartz Hill ahead, 10-2, he blocked an attempt by Comer and added three consecutive kills. Highland scored eight straight points and shortly overtook the Rebels with the help of three kills by setter Jody Shadrick.

“I thought we got stuck on our heels way too often, expecting a hard-hit ball,” said Quartz Hill Coach Gary Bilderback, who worked under Bird while coaching Highland’s junior varsity team in 1992 and ’93 but is 0-7 against his mentor.

“I was more frustrated today than any other time because I thought it was ours to win.”

In the third game, Haight’s lob put Highland ahead, 13-11, and his block on Darrin Link ended the match.

The Bulldogs lost several key players to graduation but have swept league contenders Palmdale and Quartz Hill.

“I wasn’t sure we’d be here at this point,” Bird said, “but I’ll take it.”

Eric Stott had 10 kills and Link added eight for Quartz Hill.