Palisades beats Chatsworth for City Open title
Since the Los Angeles City Section began hosting Open Division championships five years ago, either Chatsworth or Palisades has been vying for the boys volleyball title.
Palisades won Open Division titles in 2018 and 2019, while the Chancellors won it in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 playoffs.
On Saturday night at Birmingham High School, the Dolphins snatched the title back with a 3-1 win (25-19, 12-25, 25-15, 25-15).
“It's either you bring your `A' game or you go home,” Chatsworth senior CJ Blankenship said. “We brought our `A' game and it just is what it is.”
In the second meeting between the two teams this season, the Chancellors (37-10) battled in a do-or-die fourth set until Palisades built a 21-14 lead on a Chatsworth hitting error. The Dolphins went on a four-point scoring run and closed out the set with a kill from Gus Wibblesman.
“Credit to Palisades, they served tough all night long,” Chatsworth coach Sina Aghassy said. “In moments where we typically get kills and typically feel like the rally's over, they were extending plays and
Palisades' Blake Pecsok and James Rockwell celebrate a point during Saturday's CIF L.A. City Section Open Division final.
just out-efforting us.”
Palisades (34-5-1) came out with energy in the first game, but Chatsworth, the unbeaten West Valley
League champion, adjusted to get its footing and a double-digit win in the second set.
Chatsworth matched
Palisades' energy as well, and took a nine-point lead towards the end of the set on a Blake Pohevitz kill. Blankenship later put the
set away on a block.
Chatsworth's individual talent shined as Blankenship had 11 kills and two blocks. Pohevitz had
Chatsworth High's CJ Blankenship had 11 kills and two blocks in the Open Division final vs. Palisades.
14 kills, while Ben Harper had seven kills and Jamaal Unuakhalu had six kills and three blocks.
“(Blankenship) has been on this stage before,” Aghassy said. “He's worked tremendously hard. He got better as the game went on, attacking, but the kid works his butt off.”
As Chatsworth awaits the CIF Regional Championship pairings, Blankenship is keeping Saturday's loss fresh in his mind.
“We've just got to come out fired up,” he said. “Use the anger from this game to take our first state game in Chatsworth history.”
Narbonne swept Van Nuys 25-12, 2519, 25-12 in the City Section Division II championship at Birmingham High School. Van Nuys, the Valley Mission League's thirdplace finisher, went 16-15 on the season.