Eagle Rock, Granada Hills Win Titles

Andy Rivera delivered 24 kills to lead top-seeded Eagle Rock over Van Nuys, 15-6, 16-14, 15-7, in the City Section Division 3-A boys’ volleyball final Friday night at Occidental College.

Rivera, a senior who will attend Cal State Northridge, had 33 attempts, only three errors and finished with a .636 hitting percentage for the Eagles (17-0), who won their first volleyball title.

“Andy played over the top of us,” said Van Nuys’ Larry Najera, who had 11 kills. “That’s why he’s going to [play in] college.”

Van Nuys (14-3) was helped by the return of Najera, who needed 10 stitches to close a gash on his head after a collision with a teammate in a semifinal victory over Marshall on Wednesday.

The Wolves felt they also had a good chance against the undefeated Eagles, based on a 15-13 victory in the championship game of the Venice tournament earlier this season. Tournament games do not count on overall records in high school volleyball.

But second-seeded Van Nuys couldn’t stop the 6-foot-3 Rivera. He killed seven of nine attempts in the first game and started off seven for seven in the second game.

The Wolves briefly stymied Rivera in the second game, forcing him into a pair of hitting errors en route to an 11-7 lead. Trailing, 14-12, Eagle Rock scored the next four points as Rivera had a kill and an ace, and Huy Quach had three of his 11 kills.

At almost every Eagle Rock practice, the players take part in a drill where they trail, 14-7, and must win the game.

“We’re used to coming back,” Rivera said.

The loss was a negative in an otherwise positive season for the Wolves, who advanced further than expected under first-year Coach Greg Wah.

“I would have never dreamed we’d get here in my first year,” Wah said. “I just wanted to establish a good program.”

Allen Chiu had 15 kills and nine errors for the Wolves, who have lost in all three of their appearances in the 3-A final.

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Granada Hills won its first 4-A title with a 15-9, 15-7, 14-16, 15-8 victory over Palisades at Occidental College.

Balance was also the key for the top-seeded Highlanders (17-0), who received 16 kills from Shawn Litchfield, 15 from Paul DiSimone and 13 from Chris Tran.

In the first game, Tran, Litchfield, DiSimone and Achi Yaffe combine for 17 kills and only three errors.

Palisades finished 14-2.