Poly Cruises to Face Sylmar in Final

SUN VALLEY — George Lomavita gave a rousing rendition of the national anthem.

It was followed by an equally inspired performance by the Poly High girls’ volleyball team as the Parrots swept past Bravo Medical, 15-2, 15-8, 15-2, in a City Section 3-A Division semifinal playoff match Tuesday night at Poly High.

While Lomavita, the player whose academic ineligibility cost the Poly football team three victories last week, delivered a smash hit before the match, Sonia Munoz and Gaby Gallardo did the same during.

Munoz and Gallardo, a pair of senior outside hitters, finished with 13 kills and 11 kills, respectively, to lead the Parrots, who dominated the Lady Knights all over the court.

Poly (14-2), the top-seeded team in the playoffs, will play defending-champion Sylmar (13-3) in the 3-A Division final at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Occidental College. Poly is making its second trip to the title match. The Parrots lost the championship to Van Nuys in 1995.

Bravo Medical (13-3), which has made the playoffs each of the past four years but never made it past the second round, saw a 12-match winning streak ended.

Munoz, who had six kills in the first game and four in the second did, much of the offensive damage. Gallardo chipped in with five kills in each of the first two games.

While Gallardo and Munoz bombarded the Lady Knights from outside, Marjoua Youssra and Patty Bracamontes blocked Bravo’s path to the middle, and all but disarmed the Lady Knights’ only weapons.

Youssra had five blocks and Bracamontes had four, stopping short Bravo’s 5-foot-9 1/2 Tiffany Allen and 5-9 Patricia Nwajuaku. Nwajuaku led the Lady Knights with four kills and two blocks and

Allen had three kills as Bravo neither passed nor served effectively and was left with virtually no offense.

Poly, by contrast, did it all, and did it well. The Parrots also got three aces from Gallardo and setter Adina Mori, had 24 assists.

“It’s a rush,” Munoz said. “The team worked as one and everything came together tonight. Everything worked.”

Poly Coach Jimmy Ikeda had to agree.

“I’m pleased. I’m very pleased,” he said. “We’re building. I don’t think we’ve played our best match yet.”

In the other 3-A semifinal, a blown fuse caused for some flickering lights during warmups, but after repairs the second-seeded and defending-champion Spartans turned the lights out on third-seeded Franklin, 15-6, 13-15, 15-9, 15-8, at Poly High.

Thanks to 15 kills and nine blocks by sophomore middle blocker Kassy Jimenez and nine kills and 10 digs from freshman outside hitter Nancy Ariza, Sylmar (13-3) will play in its third 3-A final in four years.