Story by Zoe Chen
Sports Editor
Photos by Sunny (Sunhye) Choi
Staff Photographer
South Pasadena versed the Chatsworth Chancellors in the CIF State Regional Semi Final on Thursday, Nov. 14.
“I think we did really good today,” sophomore outside hitter Bella Ventura said. “We were very consistent, very scrappy, and we carried our energy throughout the whole game. We’re going to just keep pushing for it the rest of our games.”
The Tigers spent the first set establishing ground and finding the Chancellors’ weak spots. South Pasadena’s digs and passes were spotty at first, but often Tiger players needed only to duck from Chatsworth attacks, which repeatedly landed behind South Pasadena’s in-bounds line. Ventura’s outside attacks contributed greatly to the Tigers’ point gain. The teams seemed to be evenly matched and tied 4-4, then 6-6, then 12-12.
Junior middle blocker Senya Dorny’s quick middle attacks from sophomore setter Evan Taylor allowed the Tigers to gain points rapidly. Ventura and sophomore libero Ella Garner defended the back row well and allowed the Tigers to return many Chancellor attacks. Two kills from Dorny brought the Tigers’ lead up to 21-17. A quick set from Taylor to senior middle blocker Kayla Boozer gained the set point for the Tigers 25-20.
South Pasadena took the second set in a short, decisive win. The Chancellors’ serves and serve receptions were both shaky, and the Tigers slowly crept up with a smooth and consistent dig, set, attack cycle. Three out-of-bounds Chatsworth attacks, two Chancellor rotation faults, and a particularly strong kill from Ventura put the Tigers up 13-9. Chatsworth, sensing their downfall, took a timeout shortly after.
Chatsworth launched another out-of-bounds attack. A dump from Taylor brought South Pasadena’s lead to 17-11, and when Chancellor set the ball too close to the net, Dorny swiftly downed the ball. Two more out-of-bounds Chancellor attacks followed.
The Tigers quickly garnered the final points they needed to take the second set. An ace from Ventura brought the Tigers’ lead to 21-12. Chatsworth served the ball out-of-bounds. Senior middle hitter Olivia Slattery’s ace brought the Tigers’ lead to 25-14 and closed the second set.
Senior outside hitter Ava Conti served two aces in the first rallies of the third set, and Garner followed with two more. However, Chatsworth’s blocking improved between sets, and the Chancellors got better at defending their court from Tiger middle attacks. Dorny and Boozer, South Pasadena’s primary middle attackers, adapted. Their kills, now aimed towards the Chancellor’s center court, were rarely returned. The Tigers led 14-11, then 17-13. An ace from Taylor brought the Tigers up 23-18.
In a good position to take the set and sweep the match, the Tigers let their guard down in what turned out to be a costly mistake. Multiple on-the-line Chatsworth attacks threw off South Pasadena defenders, which in turn shifted the game’s momentum towards the Chancellors. Two out-of-bounds Tiger attacks prompted Head Coach Ivy Chew to call a timeout. South Pasadena’s lead had decreased to a mere 24-23, a combination of the Tigers’ weakened plays and the Chancellors’ stronger attacks.
Chants of “let’s go Tigers” and stomps from the sparse but energized Chatsworth crowd filled the gym as the teams returned to the court. An out-of-bounds Tiger attack tied the teams 24-24. An unstable Tiger dig and a strong Chancellor middle attack gained Chatsworth the two points they needed to take the third set 26-24. The match score was 2-1.
The Tigers dropped the third set but were determined to finish the job in the fourth. Boozer opened the final set with a quick attack, assisted by Taylor. Taylor was the backbone of the Tigers’ offense, setting the ball to players in prime position to make kills. Occasional sets from Garner to Taylor provided strong outside attacks for the team, and the Tigers doubled the Chancellors’ points 8-4.
“I guarantee that that game was the best this team has played before,” Taylor said. “It’s very nerve wracking but at the same time … this whole season we’ve fought it out and I’m so proud.”
South Pasadena continued to gain two points for every point that Chatsworth gained. Strong kills from all of South Pasadena’s offensive players brought the Tigers’ lead to 12-6. Errors on the Chancellors’ end brought the score to 16-8. The Chancellors struggled more and more to return the ball over the net, giving the Tigers more time to plan their own attacks. South Pasadena gained an 11-point lead, 22-11.
Chatsworth’s attacks, which had steadied in the third set, reverted to the out-of-bounds unsteadiness they had been at the beginning of the match, which brought the match in a full-circle. The Tigers, repeating their actions in the third set, let their guard down too soon. Their flawed receptions allowed Chatsworth a mini comeback. However, this time the Chancellors were unable to catch up. The Tigers won the fourth set with a final score of 25-17 and the match with a score of 3-1.
“This win is really deserving for the girls because they’ve been working really hard, and all the practice they’ve done literally shows on the court,” Chew said. “Going into the next round we’re just going to stay hungry, fix the little things, and keep their foot on the gas pedal.”
The victory over Chatsworth qualified South Pasadena for the State CIF Division IV Regional Semi Final, a match that they won 3-2 over Crossroads on Saturday, Nov. 16. Volleyball will face Walnut in the State Regional Final on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.
