Sunday, May 15, 2016

LJ b VB 3, Parker 0

Daniel McColl (7), primarily a football player, shows
surprising lift with his 255-pound frame. McColl
contributed three kills and a block.
(Photos by Ed Piper)


By Ed Piper

Curran Robertson, La Jolla's senior libero, signaled a friend in the stands with a smile as he took a drink during a break on the sidelines, the Vikings leading visiting Parker 11-8 in the second game.

Dave Jones' volleyball team, ranked first and second in CIF during the closing weeks of the regular season, had just overcome an 8-1 deficit, after winning the first game Sat., May 14. The Vikings were on a roll, and with the comeback seemed to break the back of the Lancers, whose crowd had been especially vocal during that initial game.

La Jolla took the second game, then the third and deciding game was almost automatic as the Vikings swept Parker and earned a semifinal matchup at number-one seed Carlsbad Wed., May 18.

Outside hitter Dane Pieper caused sparks with his electric spikes to punctuate Viking rallies, having fully recovered from a bad ankle sprain earlier in the season. He finished with 13 kills, Jake Northrup 10.

Middle hitter-blocker Chase Blackwell, among others, showed his maturation as he delivered several key hits. He garnered six kills.

And senior setter Gavin Heap was fluid in back- and forward-setting his spikers as the well-oiled LJHS machine blanked the visiting team. Heap had 15 assists. and sophomore Luke Lentin added 13.

Robertson, one of four captains for the Vikings, executed 10 digs on defense.

Sophomore Oliver Parker had
three blocks and two kills.
 

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