Taft, Granada Hills Fire Opening Volleys

Just because Granada Hills High returned only one player from its City Section 4-A Division boys’ volleyball championship team last year didn’t mean the Highlanders don’t have a tradition to uphold.

Granada Hills rallied after blowing a five-point lead in the third game and survived against Venice, 15-11, 13-15, 14-16, 15-10, 15-12 in a first-round 4-A match Tuesday night at Granada Hills.

So the Highlander tradition is safe until at least Thursday. Granada Hills advanced to the quarterfinals for the 13th consecutive year. This one may have been the toughest.

“This is the first one that’s gone five,” Granada Hills Coach Tom Harp said. “But that could be because of our seeding.”

One of the strongest programs in the City Section, Granada Hills has advanced to the City final four times in this decade and is usually one of the top-seeded teams in the playoffs.

But after finishing third in the Northwest Valley Conference behind Taft and Kennedy, Granada Hills (10-4) was seeded eighth.

The Highlanders swept the Gondoliers in a nonconference match earlier this year, but like Granada Hills, Venice was rebuilding after losing 10 players from the team that lost to the Highlanders in the semifinals last season.

The Gondoliers showed they were vastly improved from the start.

In the opening game Granada Hills needed eight consecutive service points from Frank Nguyen to rally from a 9-5 deficit. Even after taking a 14-9 lead, Granada Hills struggled before taking the first game.

After Granada Hills took a lead late in the second game, Venice took control behind middle blocker Stuart Wong and sophomore outside hitter Kyle Morrison. Morrison had three consecutive blocks and the Gondoliers (7-7) scored six of the last eight points.

But the low point for Granada Hills took place after losing a 12-7 lead in game three.

“That’s been our story all season,” Harp said. “We’ve been able to get leads but we haven’t always been able to finish them.”

The only difference in the last two games was Granada Hills was able to hold off Venice rallies. The Highlanders led the final game, 13-6, at one point.

“We were doing all right offensively but our defense has to get better,” said Nguyen, who had 55 assists and 24 digs.

Mike Aleman finished with 22 kills, Stacy Witherill added 15, Matt Koprowski had 14 and Chris Martin had 12 and 11 blocks.

The Highlanders will play top-seeded Palisades in a rematch of last year’s final in the quarterfinals.