VAN NUYS, Ca – It was a typically warm November day in LA. The temperature read 80 degrees at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys. The venue was to host three Los Angeles City Section girls volleyball championships – D3, D2, D1 in sequence. It was a convergence of schools from all over the city – from North and East San Fernando Valley to East and West LA. The first of the three matches was an all-valley meeting between the Panorama Pythons and the Poly Parrots, and a tense battle saw the Pythons emerge with their first-ever City championship in volleyball. Both teams battled through four sets with Panorama coming out on top, 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 24-14, 29-27).

Set one began with Poly serving. After a long rally to start things off, the Parrots were first to get on the board. An ace by Panorama’s Ava Mendez followed by two more points on her serve, saw the Pythons take a slight lead at 5-2. The score remained close for the next several points in part due to Poly’s  Ema Meza and Panorama’s  Teresa Nunez with two kills each. The Parrots began to pull away from there on out, reaching their largest lead of the set at 13-18. They came within two points of taking the first set when four kills by the Pythons’ co-captain Eliza Flores, tied up the score at 23-23. At Panorama’s set point, a last minute serving substitution brought  Ruby Arguelles into the match, and with one ace, she won her team the set 25-23. 

The second set was a bit of a nail biter down to the last point, even with the 6-point margin at the end. Poly seemed to come into this one with more determination and aggression, having let the last one slip out of their hands. 

Meza again helped her team out with three kills and Adriana Tinajero contributed three blocks. On the other side, it was Flores who added to her kill category with six more.  Angela Martinez saw five points scored on her serve giving Poly their biggest lead of the set. On game point, Poly spiked the ball wide and turned it over to Panorama, but it was again Martinez who bumped the ball over to claim this game point, 19-25. 

Set three saw Panorama run away with it. Flores’ four aces and four kills along with Nunez’s three kills contributed to that. It was really a full team effort, however, with everyone doing their part. Arguelles was subbed in to serve at set point and delivered her familiar ace to capture the set 25-14. 

Poly proved they were not going to get taken out so easily in the fourth set.  Ariana Bijines claimed five points on her serve and Meza and  Isabella Campuzano added two kills each. Poly was up by three at one point, but Panorama was able to get it tied again at 20-20. The lead kept switching, and the set moved into the tie-break with the score tied 25-25, one team had to win by two. The Pythons had match-point at 28-27 and Flores sent a floater over which dropped in just the right spot and Panorama claimed the D3 championship. 

Last year Panorama got to the same championship but just fell short. “It feels wonderful. Yeah. Second time’s the charm,” said Panorama Head Coach Ted Vargas.” 

“These girls are really resilient, and they really focus, and I’m so proud of each one of them,” Panorama will face D2 champion East Valley Falcons on the road in the CIF State Southern regional playoffs on Thursday, November 13 with first serve set for 6:00 P.M.

All photos by VST photographer David Martinez