Girls’ Volleyball: Rebels upset Sage Hill

With 19 of its previous 22 victories coming by sweep, the Quartz Hill High girls’ volleyball team is used to getting on a roll. But, before Thursday night, the Rebels had never before completed their cause after dropping the first two games.

But with a remarkable turnaround, the visitors (23-5) upset No. 4-seeded Sage Hill, 17-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-8, in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs.

The loss, as stunning as it was disappointing, kept the Lightning (16-11) from a chance at a third straight section championship.

Adding to the unlikely nature of the outcome, Sage Hill held a 12-4 lead in the fourth set, after the Rebels avoided what would have been their first three-set loss of the season by claiming Game 3.

“Our girls played their butts off, and we had some great volleyball,” Sage Hill Coach Dan Thomassen said. “But there was definitely a momentum change there in the third game and we just couldn’t quite get it back.”

Quartz Hill, which has now won six in a row and 11 of its last 12, went on a 16-4 run to turn the tide in Game 4, scoring the 21 of the set’s final 29 points. The Rebels led every set and used consistently tough serving and a steadily improving block to make the uphill climb.

“I think they were a little more the aggressor at the end of games, especially games three, four and five,” Thomassen said. “And they served very aggressively. We’re a good passing team, but we have chinks in our armor like everyone else and they found them. They have some very good servers and they were not missing.”

Quartz Hill had 11 aces, the last coming on match point. Sophomore opposite Taylor Mobley led the way with five aces.

The taller Rebels also posted an 11-5 advantage in team blocks, and received a match-high 18 kills from 6-foot junior outside hitter Megan Taflinger.

Marya Ghafur, a 6-2 sophomore middle blocker, was in on six blocks, while 6-1 freshman Amaya Smith contributed on five blocks for the winners, who received aces from five different players.

Junior outside hitters Jamie Dailey and Emily Lassiter had 15 and 14 kills, respectively, to lead the Lightning.

Sage sophomore setter Jade Blevins had 39 assists and sophomore libero Sahar Rohani chipped in a team-best 22 digs.

Senior Giordana Ricci, a tri-captain along with Dailey and senior Lina Aluzri, had seven kills and 11 digs for the Lightning.

Aluzri had 10 digs, while senior middle blocker Isabel Shapiro contributed eight kills, two solo blocks and two block assists.

Quartz Hill scored the first two points and never trailed in the fifth set, though Sage Hill pulled within 3-2 and 5-4.

Sage had three hitting errors and two missed serves in the decisive set.

“It’s part of volleyball,” Thomassen said. “We’ve been working hard to get more consistent all year, but we haven’t been able to put together matches with three, four and five games in which we’re serving the way we’re capable. And it hurt us tonight.”

Quartz Hill Coach Dave Gutierrez said he was as surprised as anyone to see his team rebound, particularly overcoming the deficit in Game 4.

“We don’t get tested as often as Sage Hill does, so it took us a while to get used to this caliber of play,” Gutierrez said. “It was a blast and I’m really proud of the girls for being able to come back after being down a couple of sets.”