Chatsworth Has Flower Power

Chatsworth High players presented their counterparts with orange flowers during introductions before Tuesday night’s City Championship semifinal match.

In the end, however, the Chancellors were anything but gracious hosts.

Chatsworth made third-seeded Poly work for every point throughout a 15-3, 15-9, 15-12 victory that propelled the second-seeded Chancellors into the finals against top-seeded Sylmar.

Linda Wang had 22 kills, 23 digs and six solo blocks for Chatsworth.

The Chancellors (15-1) finished with a season-high 108 digs. Leila Pate had 21 digs, Carly Allison 16, Casey Dodd 14 and K.C. Doig eight digs and four blocks.

“Our defense definitely set the tone early,” Coach Bud Dow said. “The difference was that we had seven blocks in the first game. You don’t need kills when you’re doing that. It changes a team’s offense when they have to chip or dink over blocks.”

Poly (14-2) had trouble contending with Chatsworth’s front line of Wang, Doig and Heather Rizzo--all standing over six feet.

The first game was no contest as Parrots’ hitter Sonja Torres was blocked four times and hit five balls out.

“We made some adjustments after the first two games and they were working, but their setter did a good job of moving the ball around and they got some players involved that weren’t hurting us the last time we played,” Poly Coach Jimmy Ikeda said.

Chatsworth fell behind, 8-0, in game three but fought back to tie it, 10-10. Wang hit through a block to give the Chancellors their first lead, 13-12, and Allison won a joust at the net on Chatsworth’s first match point.

Allison finished with 42 assists and Rizzo had eight kills and eight blocks for the Chancellors, whose only loss was a sweep by Sylmar.