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VOLLEYBALL: Notre=20
Dame defeats Valencia for Saugus tournament =
title
By=20
Erik Boal, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/30/2011=20
10:18:37 PM PDT
Updated: 07/30/2011 =
10:59:00=20
PM PDT
Notre Dame didn't need an advance scouting report =
Saturday=20
from coach Kristin Gorman when it came to the =
championship=20
match of the third annual Saugus summer girls' =
volleyball=20
tournament.
The Knights were facing Valencia for the third time =
in an=20
eight-day span, not to mention that Gorman had plenty =
of=20
experience competing against the Vikings during her =
career at=20
Hart High.
Just like their matchups July 23 at the Pierce =
College=20
tournament and Tuesday at the Chaminade summer league, =
Notre=20
Dame maintained the edge in the local rivalry with a =
25-18=20
victory, completing an unbeaten run at the two-day =
event at=20
Saugus High.
"They just have our number," Valencia coach Ray =
Sanchez=20
said. "I don't know what it is, we just haven't been =
able to=20
figure them out."
Notre Dame, which outlasted top-seeded Saugus =
21-15, 18-21,=20
15-13 in the semifinals, wasn't at full strength like =
many=20
teams in the tournament because of injuries, players =
being=20
away at camps or taking recruiting trips.
But the Knights, who return 11 players including =
seven=20
seniors, relied on the veteran presence of Elizabeth =
Inch,=20
Callan Kinnan and Seattle University-bound outside =
hitter=20
Emily Moss to defeat Oxnard, Burroughs, Van Nuys and =
Granada=20
Hills before getting past the Foothill League powers =
in their=20
final two matches.
Moss had a combined 20 kills in three matches =
Saturday,=20
Kinnan contributed nine kills and 40 assists, and Inch =
added=20
eight kills for Notre Dame, which is scheduled
to compete Aug. 12-13 in the Thousand Oaks =
tournament.
"I'm so excited at how well they're playing because =
we=20
haven't had one practice," Gorman said. "But they =
definitely=20
know that this year is the year to get it done. They =
have=20
great chemistry and they know what to do out there. =
It's so=20
nice to be coaching strategy at this point instead of=20
technique."
La Canada cut off at the pass
With libero Catherine Horner unable to compete in =
the=20
tournament because of softball commitments, La Canada=20
struggled with its passing and Valencia took advantage =
in a=20
21-10, 16-21, 15-13 semifinal victory over the =
second-seeded=20
Spartans.
"We got outserved and outpassed and when that =
happens, 99=20
percent of the time, you're going to lose," La Canada =
coach=20
Brock Turner said.
"We've got a few days to (improve) because this is =
the time=20
we need to get better."
La Canada is one of 11 California teams scheduled =
to attend=20
the 29 th annual Ann Kang Invitational on Aug. 11-13 =
at Iolani=20
High in Honolulu. La Reina, led by Boston College =
commit=20
Katherine Workman, is also expected to compete.
Highlanders in transition
After graduating 14 players from last year's City =
Section=20
Div. I championship team, Granada Hills has endured =
some=20
growing pains this summer. The Highlanders, led by =
senior=20
Samantha Cramer, were the only City program to compete =
in the=20
10-team championship playoffs after winning their pool =
Friday.=20
Granada Hills suffered a 21-15, 21-18 quarterfinal =
setback to=20
Notre Dame, then lost to Village Christian 21-10, =
15-21, 15-12=20
in the fifth-place semifinals.
Burroughs bounces back
Following losses to Notre Dame and Oxnard in =
Friday's pool=20
play, Burroughs regrouped Saturday to win all three =
matches,=20
including a 25-15 victory over West Ranch in the =
consolation=20
final.
erik.boal@dailynews.com