It’s as Easy as 1-2-3 for Highland

Respect, it turns out, was only a victory away.

Highland High, desperately seeking to prove itself, finally did so by downing Quartz Hill, 15-6, 15-11, 16-14, in a Golden League boys’ volleyball match Friday night at Highland.

The Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0 in league play) hadn’t played enough quality opponents to warrant serious attention around Southern California, but they defeated a tough team in surprisingly rapid fashion.

Jon Moser and Allen Ramirez provided ample attack from the outside, while 6-foot-7 Mike Kennedy and 6-6 Trent Sorensen held down the middle for Highland, ranked No. 2 in the region by The Times.

“We’ve been preparing for Quartz Hill since the beginning of the season,” said Sorensen, who had 13 kills and 12 digs. “We’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

With good reason.

Quartz Hill, (7-2, 3-1), ranked No. 5 in the region, has become an annual problem for Highland.

Two years ago, Quartz Hill broke up a four-year championship run by Highland. Last year, the Rebels were on their way to winning at least a share of the title when they forfeited a slew of victories because of an ineligible player.

Looking to reassert itself, Highland didn’t want to stumble Friday.

“Our focus has been like a laser the last few days,” said first-year Coach Tom Jones. “We knew how important this game was.”

Highland took an 8-0 lead in the first game and a 14-6 lead in the second. In the third game, the Bulldogs played catch-up, overturning a 13-7 deficit by scoring nine of the final 10 points.

Quartz Hill (7-2, 3-1) had trouble passing and never looked comfortable on offense.

Sahael Almuallem, a 6-8 middle blocker who has committed to UCLA, had 11 kills and five blocks for Quartz Hill. Jared Corpening, a 6-9 middle blocker who has committed to Cal State Northridge, had seven kills.

“I’ve been frustrated the whole season,” said Coach Jason Peplinski of Quartz Hill. “With all the talent we have, we haven’t been playing well. Hopefully this will be a kick in the butt. It’ll be an interesting couple weeks of practice.”

The teams play May 3 at Quartz Hill.

“I think we’ll win respect if we beat them again and prove we’re the best,” Sorensen said.

Moser had 19 kills and Ramirez added 14 for Highland. Kennedy, who is drawing attention from college coaches, had 10 kills and five blocks.