First published in the Aug. 18 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The La Cañada High School varsity girls’ volleyball team recently kicked off the regular season by competing in the Lakewood Molten Classic last Saturday. The Spartans finished the first day of tournament play with a 1-1 record and will conclude tournament play this coming weekend.
The Spartans ended the first weekend with a sweep over South High of Torrance, 25-18, 25-12, 25-19, behind a dominant performance by senior Nikki Hughes. She led the team with 18 kills while contributing three aces and two blocks. The 18 kills is Hughes’ second-best total of her varsity career after she posted a career-best 28 against coincidentally the same team last season. Junior Haley Clark produced 10 kills and senior Rachael Salit registered nine kills and one ace. Sophomore Ashby Zubchevich, a transfer from Flintridge Prep, tallied three kills and three aces. Sophomore Katie McGuiness had three blocks and one kill, freshman Vani Tatoulian logged a pair of blocks and junior Chloe Nussbaum made an ace.
LCHS was swept by tournament host Lakewood, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22, in its season-opener earlier on Saturday morning. Hughes led with nine kills and five digs, while Salit and Zubchevich each recorded three kills and an ace. Clark manufactured six kills and nine digs, Tatoulian tallied two kills, and Nussbaum had 10 digs and three aces.
