South Pasadena Volleyball Defeats Jordan in CIF First Round 3-1

Greg Luck (#9) dominated the offensive side of the net the entire night, helping South Pasadena push pass Jordan High 3 games to 1. – Photo by Jacob Bigley

The South Pasadena Tigers faced off against the Jordan Panthers this Tuesday in the first round of CIF playoffs. The Tigers got off to a slow start in game one as they trailed the Panthers 6-0 early. The first Tiger point came from Greg Luck (#9), who demonstrated his power early with a spike, recording his first kill of the night. The first match contained a lot of debated calls that fell in favor of the Panthers, which resulted in a Tiger timeout with the Panthers leading 12-17. Out of the time out, the Panthers committed a line fault on their serve, which ignited the Tigers on a seven-point streak, giving them a 19-17 lead. The Tigers were able to maintain their lead thanks to the power of twins Max and Greg Luck, taking the first game 25-20.

The second game started with teams trading points, until Greg Luck rallied his team with yet another seven-point streak, recording four kills in the rally alone. The Panthers trailed the Tigers 13-8 and in an attempt to stop the momentum, Head Coach Larry Taylor called a timeout. The lead stayed at five for the Tigers, 21-16, as they continued trading points until Pasadena firmly took over. The final point was scored by Max Luck, who delivered a titanic spike, winning the game 25-18 and putting the Tigers one game closer to advancing in the CIF playoffs.

– Photo by Jacob Bigley

The Panthers’ defense was the victor in game three. Pasadena kept getting denied at the net, digging them into an early 2-7 hole. The Panthers’ Dimitry Fagalima (#20) and Israel Sarabia (#24) stepped up, recording multiple blocks and kills and keeping the Tigers contained. The Tigers strung together some points and diminished the deficit to only one point, 20-21. Jordan High’s Fagalima shone with a block and a kill but the game-winning point came from Sarabia (#24) whose spike gave them the win 22-25.

Game four was all about the Tigers. They broke out to an early lead, 11-4, and never looked back. Tigers defeated the Panthers 25-13 and earned a spot in the second round of 2 CIF-SS Boys’ Volleyball Playoffs. Greg Luck earned the player of the game status with his precision strikes and powerful kills Tuesday night. His brother, Max Luck, earns a mention as well with his intensity and will to win. This dynamic duo hopes to advance pass Camarillo today, Thursday, May 14th at Camarillo 7 p.m.

– Photo by Jacob Bigley

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