Pali High Volleyball Spikes King-Drew

Usually, the deeper a team advances in the postseason the more difficult matches become as the level of competition gets better. So far, however, the girls varsity volleyball squad is bucking that trend in the Los Angeles City Section Division II playoffs.

The top-seeded Dolphins swept ninth-seeded King-Drew Medical out of the Pali High gym with shocking ease, 25-5, 25-13, 25-17, Wednesday night in a quarterfinal victory that was every bit as one-sided as the scores indicate. 

Junior outside hitter Molly Kornfeind led the way with 16 kills (hitting .580) and senior setter and opposite hitter Meghan Middleton added seven kills and 18 assists. Libero Maddie Hausberg had 11 digs while Brittany Butts had 19 assists as Palisades showed why it is the heavy favorite to win its second straight Division II title and third City crown in four years.

After serving 19 aces in their second-round sweep of Arleta two nights earlier, the Dolphins put on yet another serving clinic against the overmatched Golden Eagles, finishing with 21 aces, five of them by junior outside hitter Shanna Scott.

With the victory, Palisades remained unbeaten against City Section opponents and advanced to the semifinals where it will host Western League rival Venice next Tuesday night. The Gondos (18-15) tied for second in league with Fairfax and came the closest to stealing a set off Palisades, losing 26-24 in the third set the last time the teams met.

Venice upset fourth-seeded Eagle Rock in four sets in the quarterfinals. Fairfax upset third-seeded Maywood Academy, also in four sets, while Taft swept No. 7 University.

Sixth-seeded Fairfax (17-7-1) will travel to second-seeded Taft (17-17-3) in the other semifinal match Tuesday. The Division II final is at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at in Los Angeles. 

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

DIVISION II

Quarterfinals

Set Scores

1

2

3

4

5

Final

King-Drew

5

13

17

--

--

0

Palisades

25

25

25

--

--

3

Records: King-Drew 15-8; Palisades 20-12.

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