Highlanders come up a little short vs. WHS
Boys' volleyball team loses a five-game thriller at home
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers LEAVING HIS FEET- Highlander CJ Everts goes up high to hit a kill during Wednesday's defeat at the hands of the Warriors.

For 14 straight years the boys' volleyball team at Royal High was the team to beat in the Marmonte League. The Highlanders won league titles from 1989 through 2002.

Unfortunately for RHS on Wednesday night, they ran into the team that has dominated the league for the past four years.

For the second time this season, Royal couldn't get past defending league champion Westlake, losing the deciding fifth game at home by a score of 1614 to put their league record at 3-5. Westlake remains undefeated in the Marmonte at 8-0.

"Anytime you win a game like this, it can only help your team's confidence," Westlake head coach Doug Magorien said. "I thought it was a well-fought match. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Royal, and we love coming here to play because they always play us hard and they make us a better team."

For the first three games it looked like Royal might be the first Marmonte team to beat the Warriors in nearly two years.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers HE WAS SET UP- Royal's Trevor Galbreath, left, makes a backward pass to Kyle Auge during Wednesday's match against Westlake. The Highlanders took first-place Westlake to five games before losing 16-14 in Game 5. Royal's league record now stands at 3-5 overall.

Royal won the first game 2521, thanks to key blocks by junior Kyle Auge to make the score 22-16 and a kill by CJ Everts to make the score 23-18. Royal got the win when Westlake hit a serve out of bounds, something the Warriors did seven times in the first game.

The second game was Royal's turn to struggle with its serve. The Highlanders failed to convert on three serves, and the Warriors took advantage by winning 25-20.

After losing the second game, the Highlanders regrouped. With the third game knotted at 22, Royal got a key block from Auge to go ahead. With the score 2423 Royal, Everts put down a kill to give RHS the win.

However, the Warriors would not go quietly on this night. Westlake won in a convincing fashion in the fourth game, 25-15, to set up the deciding fifth game.

The Highlanders came out strong in the fifth game and built an early 3-0 lead thanks to a kill by Sebastian Krueger and a kill and an ace by senior Trevor Galbreath.

Westlake got a point back off a missed serve by Galbreath, and moments later Warrior junior Jake Tracy got a kill to tie the game at three. The game went back and forth until WHS got four straight points thanks to kills by senior Dan McKernan and sophomore Scott Kevorken to make the score 14-11.

Royal surged right back on a kill by Auge, and when Warrior setter Matt Ramos was called for a double hit, the game was tied at 14. The momentum, however, was short-lived as Warrior seniors Ian Cafferty and McKernan nailed down kills to give the win to Westlake.

Despite the loss, Royal head coach Dean Borth was happy with how his team played.

"I am so damn proud of the way the kids played tonight," Borth said. "They did a great job of keeping things together on the court, and I thought we played consistently well tonight besides the fourth game when we got hammered.

"I think tonight showed what kind of character we have on our team. They play every point and every game like it's their last."

Although Royal's record may not show it at 3-5 in league play, Borth remains convinced that his team is capable of making the playoffs and going far once they get there.

"I don't need to tell the kids that they are a playoff-caliber team; they already know," Borth said. "If a couple of points go another way throughout the year we could easily be 8-0, let alone 5-3 with the two games we played against Westlake.

"Westlake seems to be a little hump we can't quite get over right now. Still, I tell my kids that I'm very proud of them, and if they're playing their best, then that's all I can ask for. Sometimes I tell them that I think they are playing good but they are capable of playing better. This is the type of team that looks at each other after I pose that question and responds with a 'Yeah, you're right coach; we can play better.'"

Royal will look to turn their season around April 16 at home against Agoura.