Palisades Serves Up Another Title

Sylmar High wasn’t just going against a formidable opponent Friday night in the City Championship girls’ volleyball match.

It was going against history.

Palisades has won 20 City Section titles since girls’ volleyball became a sanctioned sport in 1973.

Make it 21.

The Dolphins had too much firepower and won its third consecutive title with a 15-8, 6-15, 16-14, 15-10 victory at Occidental College.

It was Sylmar’s first appearance in a City Championship final.

The Spartans (15-2) won City 3-A titles in 1994, 1996, and 1997 before moving to the 4-A [City Championship bracket] last season.

It was Sylmar’s first defeat since losing to Chatsworth in it its second match this season.

Kassandra Jimenez, Sylmar’s top hitter, was in and out of the lineup frequently but led the Spartans with 17 kills and 18 blocks.

Jimenez, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, returned from a partially torn knee ligament late in the season but was clearly not at full strength.

Stephanie Cisneros added 15 kills and Barbara Smiley had 27 assists for Sylmar.

Lauren Carter of Palisades (16-1) had 28 kills and three aces.

Neither team led by more than three points in game three. Palisaded trailed, 14-13, but got two aces from Carter and a kill by Jennifer Badran-Grycan to take a 2-1 lead in games.

The Spartans jumped ahead, 11-5, in game two and won it on an ace by Cisneros off the back line.

Sylmar trailed, 5-1, in the first game before closing to within 8-7 but Palisaded ended the game with a 7-1 run.

Gabriela Herrera had 12 digs for the Spartans, who staved off four match points before losing.

INVITATIONAL

Marshall def. Granada Hills, 15-7, 15-9, 15-11--Junior Priscilla Baca had 10 kills and 12 digs and her twin, Christina, added eight kills and eight digs but the second-seeded Highlanders (11-6) lost to the top-seeded Barristers in the final.