Falcons brush aside Tornadoes with sweep
LA CRESCENTA — Michael Linvill said he got plenty accomplished Wednesday afternoon for the Crescenta Valley High boys’ volleyball team.
It started with a strong serve and ended with a crisp pass en route to helping host Crescenta Valley notch a 25-14, 25-10, 25-12 Pacific League win against Hoover.
Linvill finished with six aces, including four in the first game, to help the Falcons improve to 12-5, 6-2 in league and sweep Hoover (0-9 overall and in league) for the second time this season.
“I just go all out with my serving and try to be aggressive,” Linvill said. “I don’t get that many opportunities and my passing was also big.
“We wanted to get back out there and shake off any cobwebs that we might have had.”
Crescenta Valley and Hoover were playing their first match in nearly two weeks. The Falcons appeared fresh by virtue of practicing during most of their spring break, while the Tornadoes showed signs of rustiness.
Crescenta Valley, which posted a 27-7, 25-12, 25-19 road win against Hoover on March 7, received nine kills and five aces from Wesley Cormier.
Crescenta Valley Coach John Nelson, whose team will meet defending league champion Burroughs — ranked No. 2 in the Latest CIF Southern Section Division III poll — on Friday at Burroughs, said the recent practices paid off for the Falcons.
“We practiced enough to stay sharp,” Nelson said. “We didn’t want to come out flat after a couple of weeks off.
“We were focused and deliberate through all of those practices.”
The same couldn’t be said for the Tornadoes, who got four kills from Elijah Funtiveros.
“We didn’t practice much and it took some time for us to develop,” Hoover Coach Charles Min said. “We were trying to get our rhythm back.
“We are making strides and trying to get a lot more game experience.”
Linvill’s final ace in the first game gave the Falcons a 20-10 advantage before a kill by Vincent Van Hoek closed it out. In the second game, Crescenta Valley used a 15-6 run to take a 20-9 lead.
An ace by Cormier in the third game helped Crescenta Valley jump out to an 8-2 lead. The Falcons then went on a 11-3 run to make it 19-5. A block by Ian Paprocki completed the victory.
