Pali High Volleyball Falls in Semis

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

After seeing his team go down fighting in the City Section Open Division semifinals last Tuesday evening, May 7, Palisades Charter High School boys volleyball coach Carlos Gray conceded that he was not shocked by the outcome given the way Chatsworth had been playing the second half of the season.

“[Coach] Sina Aghassy has that program rolling right now and they’ll be the team to beat the next few years,” Gray predicted after the Chancellors’ 25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-14 triumph. “My team pushed them the whole way and I’m proud of the guys for taking that third set. Chatsworth is very strong, especially their middles. They get you out of system a lot.”

The teams were meeting for the third time this season. Palisades rallied to stun Chatsworth 11-25, 25-18, 17-15 in the semifinals of the Venice Invitational on March 2, but the Chancellors avenged that loss with a 25-16, 25-19 sweep during pool play at their own tournament on April 6.

Chatsworth, seeded No. 1 in the eight-team Open bracket, went on to beat No. 2 Eagle Rock in five sets in the finals Saturday, May 11, at Cal State Northridge for its third Open title in four years and its 11th section crown overall—second only to Palisades, which beat Chatsworth in the finals in 2022 for the last of its record 17 titles before being swept by the Chancellors in last year’s final.

Palisades used a late rally to steal the third set last Tuesday and the fourth was close—until Chatsworth closed out the victory on a 9-2 run, punctuated by a stuff block on the first match point.

The fifth-seeded Dolphins (27-10) were confident heading into the semifinals after upsetting No. 4 Granada Hills, 25-17, 28-26, 30-28, in the quarterfinals. The Highlanders are the only other City opponent to beat Chatsworth this season, pulling off a five-set win in the first of two West Valley League meetings March 18. The Chancellors swept the rematch three weeks later.

In past years, teams qualifying for the Open Division received an automatic berth into the Southern California Regionals, but this season only the winner and runner-up in each of the City’s four divisions qualified, thus Palisades’ season has come to an end.

Chatsworth (41-8) fell to host Redondo Union, 26-24, 25-16, 25-12, Tuesday, May 14, in the opening round of the Regional Division II playoffs.