Schools
It's now Cali PHO nia
Senior Roxy Photenhauer sawed through Carpenteria Saturday to nail LCA's second playoff win, but she wasn't the only sensation.
By Michael Ashcraft --
Don't the let sweet face, with pouty lips and pigtails, deceive you.
Freshman Shayla Papik was a beast Saturday, splintering Carpinteria High School volleyball with her sets, her jump serves and her kills. Did I say she's a freshman?
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It would appear that five brothers imparted toughness to her, but none of it shows in her baby face. (On the off occasion when she missed, she pouted with lower lip out).
Shayla was the emergent star in Lighthouse Christian Academy's handy win over the Warriors in its second round playoff game. The Saints battled back the Warriors in three sets: 25-11, 25-17 and 25-23.
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"Shayla just connected with (setter) Allie (Scribner) today and they executed it," says Coach Jessica Young. "She's a strong person. She's really good at hitting a ball on the way down quick at a sharp angle and timing it. It's really hard to get those serves."
Right from the beginning, LCA turned the Warriors into Worriers. Dig, set, hit every single time. Carpenteria struggled to block and hardly set up a hit in return.
In Game 2, Carpenteria recalibrated and managed some blocks to keep the game even for about half the set.
That's when senior Roxy Photenhauer (or simply Pho) pulled into the gunning position and launched radar-eluding serves to rack up five straights point and catalyze a Lighthouse runaway.
"Usually I don't get that aces like to got today," Roxy explains. "But I decided to go extra hard because my neck was hurting. I didn't want my neck being injured to stop me. It worked."
Roxy had a run on serves in Game 3 as well.
In honor of Roxy, it's now being called Cali-PHO-nia.
The high-jumping Dahlia Gonzalez, a junior, was wrecking havoc furnace-hot hits as usual.
When the Warriors successfully blocked her (searing their hands), the Saints just mixed up their setting, going to Shayla and Karine Keyser, who is also a freshman.
To make matters worse for the Warriors, senior Clara Czer could be counted on for power hits, per normal.
"I'm happy with how we did. We got to show what we can do," says Coach Jessica.
Michael Ashcraft teaches journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in Santa Monica.
