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Rebels return to form
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| Flintridge Prep's volleyball team celebrates after toppling Pasadena Poly on Friday afternoon. |
Volleyball: Flintridge Prep avenges loss to Pasadena Poly with a road sweep.
By Grant Gordon
PASADENA — A season removed from a CIF Southern Section Division V semifinal berth, the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team found itself saddled with some high expectations this year.
Due to some key injuries and, perhaps, a lack of intensity, the Rebels struggled early on and their No. 3 ranking gradually disappeared.
But, if the Rebels’ last three matches are any indication, Flintridge Prep is coming together at the right time.
In under an hour, Prep cruised past Prep League archrival Pasadena Poly, 25-14, 25-22, 25-22, on Friday afternoon at Westridge, avenging a loss to the Panthers earlier in the season.
“All of a sudden, I got everybody back and we’re playing real well,” said Rebels Coach Sean Beattie, whose team lost in four to Poly on April 8. “[Friday], we came out on fire. ...We wanted to prove we were the better team.”
Prep (9-8, 4-2 in league), which had three different Rebels tally double-digit kills, began its week Tuesday with a win against fourth-ranked Chadwick, thereby avenging both of its league losses in a four-day span.
However, the Rebels credit their turnaround to a five-game loss to No. 2 Viewpoint, the defending division champion, on April 17.
“Coming off of the [match] against Viewpoint, we saw what we were capable of,” said Peter Denton, who notched 10 kills against Poly (11-7, 3-3). “I think we’re playing better that we have all year.”
Gavin Thomson, who posted 10 kills as well, brought Beattie and the rest of the Prep bench to its feet with a big-time kill to make it 8-6 Rebels early in Game One.
The kill began a 9-2 Prep run that turned a close first game into a rout. Fittingly, another highlight-reel Thomson kill ended the game.
In the second game, reigning All-Area Player of the Year Dylan Walker flexed his might. He notched seven of his match-high 12 kills.
A 7-1 Poly run made the game close, but Prep closed it out on two Panthers service errors.
In the final game, Prep’s intensity waned a bit, as Poly collected its first and only lead of the match at 4-3. The back-and-forth game ended with Thomson notching two of the final three points on kills.
Arthur Kang added six kills for the Rebels, whose offense came from everyone and everywhere.
“That’s all our setter Reed Bradley,” said Denton of the All-CIF setter who had 37 assists. “He’s really good at spreading the ball around.”
Offense has never really lacked for the Rebels, though.
“We’ve got all the offense we need,” said Beattie, who inserted Edmund Chow, who had 11 digs, into the libero spot for the last three matches. “What we need is the defense and passing, I think he’s the guy who sparked that.”
Prep closes out its season with home matches — at Westridge as the Rebels’ home gym is under construction — against Rio Hondo Prep on Monday and Pacific Lutheran on Thursday.
“The best part about it is we haven’t peaked yet,” Beattie said. “We haven’t peaked, but we’re on the right road.”
Due to some key injuries and, perhaps, a lack of intensity, the Rebels struggled early on and their No. 3 ranking gradually disappeared.
But, if the Rebels’ last three matches are any indication, Flintridge Prep is coming together at the right time.
In under an hour, Prep cruised past Prep League archrival Pasadena Poly, 25-14, 25-22, 25-22, on Friday afternoon at Westridge, avenging a loss to the Panthers earlier in the season.
“All of a sudden, I got everybody back and we’re playing real well,” said Rebels Coach Sean Beattie, whose team lost in four to Poly on April 8. “[Friday], we came out on fire. ...We wanted to prove we were the better team.”
Prep (9-8, 4-2 in league), which had three different Rebels tally double-digit kills, began its week Tuesday with a win against fourth-ranked Chadwick, thereby avenging both of its league losses in a four-day span.
However, the Rebels credit their turnaround to a five-game loss to No. 2 Viewpoint, the defending division champion, on April 17.
“Coming off of the [match] against Viewpoint, we saw what we were capable of,” said Peter Denton, who notched 10 kills against Poly (11-7, 3-3). “I think we’re playing better that we have all year.”
Gavin Thomson, who posted 10 kills as well, brought Beattie and the rest of the Prep bench to its feet with a big-time kill to make it 8-6 Rebels early in Game One.
The kill began a 9-2 Prep run that turned a close first game into a rout. Fittingly, another highlight-reel Thomson kill ended the game.
In the second game, reigning All-Area Player of the Year Dylan Walker flexed his might. He notched seven of his match-high 12 kills.
A 7-1 Poly run made the game close, but Prep closed it out on two Panthers service errors.
In the final game, Prep’s intensity waned a bit, as Poly collected its first and only lead of the match at 4-3. The back-and-forth game ended with Thomson notching two of the final three points on kills.
Arthur Kang added six kills for the Rebels, whose offense came from everyone and everywhere.
“That’s all our setter Reed Bradley,” said Denton of the All-CIF setter who had 37 assists. “He’s really good at spreading the ball around.”
Offense has never really lacked for the Rebels, though.
“We’ve got all the offense we need,” said Beattie, who inserted Edmund Chow, who had 11 digs, into the libero spot for the last three matches. “What we need is the defense and passing, I think he’s the guy who sparked that.”
Prep closes out its season with home matches — at Westridge as the Rebels’ home gym is under construction — against Rio Hondo Prep on Monday and Pacific Lutheran on Thursday.
“The best part about it is we haven’t peaked yet,” Beattie said. “We haven’t peaked, but we’re on the right road.”
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