Story by Zoe Chen
Sports Editor
Photo by Mac Shropshire
Staff Photographer
Girls’ volleyball faced the Norwalk Lancers in the second round of playoffs, an away game on Saturday, Oct. 26. The match had its ups and downs, but the Tigers pulled ahead in the end to extend their CIF run.
South Pasadena relied heavily on tips throughout the first set. Sophomore defensive specialist Ella Garner’s digs kept the ball up numerous times and allowed the Tigers to make surprise attacks. A tip from sophomore outside hitter Bella Ventura put the Tigers ahead 6-3. Another tip from senior outside hitter Ava Conti brought the Tigers’ lead up to 8-6.
Norwalk had occasional strong attacks to South Pasadena’s back court, but the Tigers quickly adapted and tasked Ventura with back row defense. Garner covered the area behind South Pasadena blockers, creating a solid Tiger defense. South Pasadena maintained a steady lead throughout the set. A tip from junior opposite hitter Senya Dorny upped the Tigers’ advantage to 14-11.
Dorny played another perfectly placed tip, bringing the score to 18-14. The Lancers’ hits were shaky yet often stayed in bounds; Tiger defenders struggled to predict where the ball would land. Tiger players dove for multiple out-of-bounds balls, elongating the set.
Senior middle hitter Kayla Boozer was slotted into the rotation and immediately launched a middle attack, giving South Pasadena a three-point lead. A quick set from senior setter Jolene Wu to Boozer earned the Tigers the 25-19 score they needed to win the first set.
Norwalk’s defense improved between sets, and the majority of South Pasadena’s attacks sailed into the arms of the waiting Lancer defenders. The Tigers were down 9-3 after an out-of-bounds block attempt.
Offensively, Norwalk executed a combination of tips, dumps, back-court attacks, and side attacks and left South Pasadena defenders unsure where to position themselves. Norwalk led by nine points.
Down 17-8, the Tigers took a timeout and reentered the court with newfound energy. An ace and kill from Conti, followed by multiple tips and middle attacks from Dorny, got the Tigers back into the set, trailing only 19-13. Still, at 24-19, Norwalk was a single point away from taking the set.
The Tigers held their ground. Sophomore opposite hitter Evan Taylor successfully blocked the ball, tightening the game at 24-21. An ace by Conti and two Norwalk errors tied the teams 24-24.
The Tigers and Lancers tied again at 25-25 and 26-26. When South Pasadena passed the ball too close to the net, a Norwalk hitter reached over the net and downed the ball on South Pasadena’s court. The Lancers took the second set 28-26. The match was 1-1.
The Tigers dominated the third set, while the Lancers seemed to make errors every other rally. Kills from Taylor and Conti and an ace from Garner brought the Tigers’ lead to 10-2. South Pasadena continued to climb with strong attacking players. The Tigers performed four more kills; Norwalk was down 19-8.
Taylor successfully dumped the ball, bringing the Tigers within two points of a set victory, 23-10. A Lancer service error brought the score to 24-12. A final middle attack from Dorny, assisted by Taylor, brought the match score to 2-1 in the Tigers’ favor.
Ventura defended the Tigers’ back court with ease during the fourth and final set. However, South Pasadena’s coordination was unreliable. The Tigers were down 5-1.
When the Lancers passed the ball too close to the net, Dorny reached over and hit the ball at a near-vertical angle. Another attack from Dorny got the Tigers within one point of the Lancers, 8-7.
Two kills from Conti and two aces from Taylor tied the score at 15-15, then 18-18. Although South Pasadena got some strong kills in, defensive errors plagued both teams. The Tigers and Lancers each made preventable out-of-bounds hits and attacks, but the Tigers pulled ahead eventually and took the match 3-1.
South Pasadena’s win against Norwalk qualified them for the Division VI Quarter Final. The Tigers swept Sultana High School in three sets on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The Tigers will play Oak Hills on Saturday, Nov. 2 in the Division VI Semi Final. Oak Hills will host at 1 p.m.
