Gondos Squads Head Into Spring Break

It was a tough week for Venice High sports, as the tennis and softball teams were the only ones that didn’t suffer a loss. The baseball team slipped out of first place, while the volleyball team is back below .500 in league play. Here’s a closer look:

Baseball

The Gondoliers had high hopes heading into the week, having gone 2-1 the week before to gain a share of first place in the Western League. However, they were swept by a familiar foe, Westchester, the same team that beat them in the City Division II playoffs last year. On Monday, they lost 6-5 at Westchester and on Wednesday they were dealt an 8-4 home loss to the Comets.

“We had them in the first game, and we let it slip away," Venice Coach Walter Fujita said. "At this point, all of these games are tough and there isn’t much we can do. It’s all about who wants it more, and this week, Westchester wanted it more than us.”

This weekend, the Gondoliers will try to bounce back as they participate in the Dennis Gilbert Tournament. They will play Sherman Oaks CES on Saturday at 3 p.m. before taking on West Adams Prep at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, the first day of spring break. 

Softball

The Gondoliers were able to bounce back after a tough 14-3 loss to Palisades last week. They defeated LACES on Monday in a game that was stopped in the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule. On Wednesday, they completed a sweep of Fairfax, defeating them 7-5. The win was key for Coach Jessica Ruiz and her girls, who got a wake-up call against Palisades last week.

“The Pali loss was bad," Ruiz said. "I think it was more us psyching ourselves out than them blowing us away. We have to work on our mental game and I think we will be a lot tougher when we play them next time."

The girls will have 10 days to prepare for that all important rematch when they travel to Palisades on April 25.

Volleyball

It has been the story all year for the boys volleyball team: one step forward, two steps back. Just when it looked like the Gondoliers were getting back on track they dropped two league games to fall to 4-5 this season. One loss in particular stood out – a 3-1 setback against a Westchester squad they had swept 3-0 earlier.

“I didn’t have my starting two middles for that game," Venice Coach Allen Hunt said. "One had a doctor’s appointment and the other had a bug bite infection. So that messed up my rotation and the guys couldn’t adjust in time.”

Venice followed that up with a 3-0 loss to University – a team Hunt said was simply at a different level than his squad. Next week, the Gondoliers will look to find their game again at the Las Vegas Easter Invitational. 

Tennis

The boys team was able to bounce back from a tough stretch with two wins this week. It started off avenging an earlier 5-2 loss to Westchester with a 4-3 upset, perhaps because the Gondoliers had their top seven players in the lineup.

“That was a great win for us," Venice Coach Randy Chew said. "If I remember correctly, it’s the first time in three years that we have beaten them. I was very impressed with some of my beginners. They've come a really long way in a short amount of time."

On Wednesday, Chew’s squad continued its winning ways, knocking off University 5-2. Chew is now preparing his top players for the Oaji tournament, which will be held April 26-May 1 in Ventura County.

Swimming

The much-anticipated league showdown between Venice and Palisades proved to be a mismatch. Depleted by illness and vacation travel, including a number of kids on their way to China as part of their Magnet Foreign Language program, the Gondoliers lost all four meets.

The Venice dive team won by default because the Dolphins had no team, but the swimmers were dealt their first defeats. The boys varsity lost 107-64, the girls varsity lost 112-53, the frosh/soph boys lost 75-40 and the frosh/soph girls lost 111-27

The Gondoliers' next meet is April 25 at LACES.

Now let’s take a look at the Animo Venice Charter teams:

Baseball

The Pirates suffered their third loss of the season, 15-3, by Community Harvest on Monday, but they were able to bounce back against Harbor Teacher Prep on Wednesday, winning 9-6. 

Softball

The girls just can’t seem to catch a break this season. The Pirates have yet to post a victory and, unfortunately for their fans, it looks like they may not crack the win column. This week, they suffered another blowout, 22-2, at the hands of Harbor Teacher Prep. The team will have two more chances to get that win, starting with a home game at 3 p.m. Friday against Animo South Los Angeles.