Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball takes down short-handed Chadwick

LA CAÑADA — Over the last few years, perhaps no rivalry in the Prep League boys’ volleyball standings has meant more than Flintridge Prep and Chadwick School.

The programs have won or shared the league’s last seven titles and have engaged in epic battles.

That’s why Thursday afternoon’s meeting of the squads was definitely different, if not odd.

The host Rebels needed only an hour to defeat the short-handed Dolphins, 25-17, 25-20, 25-16 for their 11th straight league victory.

With the win, Flintridge Prep improved to 10-1 and 2-0 in league, while the loss came in Chadwick’s league opener.

“You don’t see this happen too often because Chadwick is normally very tough,” Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie said. “Their coach talked to me before the game and said he was missing a few kids because of a school function and so I told our guys not to anticipate a similar game when we see them next time [on April 19].”

Chadwick Coach Michael Cass’ normal roster of 11 was trimmed to seven due to previous engagements, including college visits.

The smaller-than-normal Dolphins were scrappy and stayed closer than perhaps either team expected.

Yet, in the end, Flintridge Prep’s power prevailed.

Reigning two-time All-Area Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year Dante Fregoso had a relatively quiet match by his lofty standards, but still finished with a match-high 11 kills and five aces.

Fregoso was at his most potent with his team holding a 14-8 advantage in the third game.

Fregoso connected on four straight aces with the backspin on his serves skipping off the wrists and arms of Dolphins defenders.

When Chadwick’s Kyle Civale (team-high seven kills) finally broke the spell with a kill, the Rebels had already built an insurmountable 18-9 lead.

“Dante was on his serve today just like he was against [Pasadena] Poly,” Beattie said. “That helped us close out.”

Flintridge Prep secured the match on a Dolphins’ centerline violation that finished off the 25-16 victory.

If there was an extra benefit to Thursday’s match, at least from the Rebels’ perspective, it was that the squad was able to rotate in several players.

Overall, nine Rebels contributed at least one point as senior setter Aldridge Khin finished with 32 assists.

“It’s good to get a lot of guys involved,” Khin said. “That takes a lot of pressure off Dante and it takes a lot of pressure off me because I have a lot of different guys who I can go to. It was a real comfortable game.”

The second set proved to be the closest, as Chadwick led early and Flintridge Prep didn’t go up by more than five points until a 4-0 run capped by a block from Miles Johnson gave the Rebels a 20-13 lead.

Flintridge Prep reached game-point, 24-18, and put away Chadwick after committing back-to-back errors thanks to another kill from Johnson.

As for the first game, the Rebels rolled to a 12-5 advantage and weren’t really tested. Rebels sophomore Majeed Ismail, who added seven kills, finished off the win with a blistering spike.

“If there’s something for us to take away, it’s that this match was closer than I thought it would be given the circumstances,” Cass said. “We knew we were going to have to play perfect against a great Flintridge Prep team to win. Maybe if we have a full roster and we’re at our place, maybe the match is different.”