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2007-2008
Antelope Valley Girl's
By CRAIG CURRIER
Valley Press Assistant Sports Editor
Virtually untested over the last six weeks, Quartz Hill High School's girls volleyball team faces top-ranked Oaks Christian Saturday night in the Southern Section Division III-AA quarterfinals. The game's location will be determined by a coin flip this morning.
Quartz Hill (19-1) advanced by beating visiting Victor Valley Thursday 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 29-27 in the second round.
"We just want a chance to prove ourselves," outside hitter Kara Sherrard said. "We really think this year is our year."
There was some uncertainty late in the match Thursday night, though, whether Quartz Hill would move on. Or, at least, there was more concern on the Rebels bench than they are used to.
After winning the first game against the Jackrabbits handily, the Rebels dropped the second.
Aside from two four-game wins over Lancaster this fall, Quartz Hill swept the other six Golden League teams a combined 12 times. When Victor Valley (12-6) knotted the match at 1-1, it marked only the fifth time this season that the Rebels would be forced to play a fourth game.
"I told them all day to play each match like it's their last," Quartz Hill coach Larry Vocke said. "We'll find out Saturday how good we are."
It looked like Quartz Hill was going to take control from there, though, as the Rebels went ahead 11-3 in the third game and cruised to a 2-1 lead in games. But the Jackrabbits did not give way. Quartz Hill jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the fourth game, but Victor Valley came right back and eventually led, 24-22.
Enter Sherrard, who had a game-high 25 kills Thursday night.
The Rebels' star hitter played the role, pounding three consecutive kills to take a 25-24 lead. The teams went back-and-forth to 27-27 before Quartz Hill scored the match's final two points.
"I was nervous but I really wanted the ball," Sherrard said. "There was a lot of pressure. It was intense."
It was clear on all three of those crucial points that the Rebels were trying to get the ball to Sherrard on the outside.
"I just told them to set the outside and don't even try to get everyone involved," Vocke said. "They like to spread it around, but you have to ride your horse there."
Chelsea Hamilton had 12 kills and two blocks and Kahli Remy had 12 kills and two aces in the win. Khaliah Burnley had five kills.
The combination of Hamilton, Remy, Burnley and Sherrard was just too much for a Victor Valley team that played strong defense against Quartz Hill. Despite their obvious height advantage, the Rebels had trouble hitting the ball through Victor Valley's block at times and the Jackrabbits were able to control the ball well enough to stay with Quartz Hill in the middle of the match.
For the Rebels' returning players, Saturday's match won't just be about making the semifinals.
A year after Oaks Christian ousted Quartz Hill in the Division III-AA second round, the Rebels and Lions meet again - this time with a berth in the semifinals at stake. Oaks Christian dropped the first game to Quartz Hill on Nov. 9 of last year, but then the Lions came back to win three straight and take the match. Oaks Christian advanced to the semifinals last fall, but was swept by eventual champion Valencia of Placentia.
"We are geared toward playing them," Remy, a senior, said. "We didn't want to lose (Thursday.) Chelsea and I kept saying (in that fourth game), 'This isn't a five-game match.'"
The Lions advanced to Saturday's quarterfinal by beating Beverly Hills in three games Thursday night.
Vocke said playing a powerful team like Oaks Christian might actually help Quartz Hill. He said the Rebels are not as good against smaller, more defensive-oriented squads like Victor Valley.
"I prefer playing teams like that," Vocke said. "If we win Saturday, then we're the team to beat."
