Chatsworth girls volleyball tops El Camino in West Valley League battle

CHATSWORTH — The Chatsworth Chancellors girls volleyball team secured its much-needed win, but nothing ever comes easy in the West Valley League.

The Chancellors notched their first league win of the season, topping the El Camino Real Royals at home on Wednesday.

Chatsworth took the match 28-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21 behind standout defense and a speedy offense.

Leading the charge for the Chancellors (13-5, 5-1) was senior Samantha Sikorski, who registered a match-high 15 kills, with 14 digs, two aces and a block.

“I think our scrappiness and our hustle (stand out),” Sikorski said. “That was one of the things that we wanted to focus on this season, because we knew that we aren’t going to be the biggest team. I definitely think our scrappiness and our hustle and our effort definitely showed on the court today.”

The senior started and ended the night hot, with five kills in each of the first and fourth sets, including a big swing that set up match point.

Both teams flexed their depth in the match as each coach moved around pieces and sent in substitutes to gain the upper hand. Chatsworth gained just that through sophomore Bella Nguyen stepping in at the outside position early in the match. The young pin hitter was steady throughout the match and totaled eight kills and the game’s first block.

“Bella changed the dynamic, and then everyone just started kind of following her lead and making plays after that,” said Chancellors coach Sina Aghassy.

Chatsworth appeared to have run away with the match in the fourth, going up 20-12 on a 8-1 run that scorched El Camino (6-5, 1-1). However, the Royals remained composed and first-year coach John Galvan got a huge spark from a bench player of his own, freshman setter Sydney Rosenberg. The freshman breathed life into the Royals with an absurd three consecutive serving aces.

Sikorski stayed aggressive and ended the run with a kill, followed by a block on the next play, but the Royals kept chipping away.

Chatsworth errors piled up, but just as El Camino got back in striking distance, Chancellors opposite hitter Caterina Gambaro pounded down her seventh kill of the day for match point.

El Camino showcased its many strengths with serving and attacking throughout the night. Senior Arianna Ellis led the attack with 12 kills while junior Chavvah Powell totaled six.

The two teams went blow for blow with one another in the first game, which included several big rallies in the deuce set. Chatsworth took the 1-0 advantage, but it looked clear the team could’ve easily been in for another five-set match, which would’ve been its fourth of the season already.

The Royals’ defense was sound as can be in the second game, but the team got its biggest spark from outside hitter Ava Najar. The senior sent three straight scorchers over the net for as many consecutive aces, matching her freshman teammate Rosenberg. Najar’s third ace capped off an 8-0 run for the Royals with a set two victory.

Najar finished the match with nine kills and five aces.

Chatsworth adjusted again in the third with its best blocking set of the day before outlasting El Camino in the fourth set.

Junior Addison Flores re-entered the match late in the fourth after some early hitting woes but was ready for her moment. Flores fired in some tough serves late in the match and added two aces for the Chancellors.

Chatsworth setter Camilla Diaz was big all over the court with well over 30 assists, four kills and a pair of blocks.

The Chancellors’ goals for the season don’t ever change much, as the team is hopeful to retake the West Valley league crown and return to the CIF LA City Open Division playoffs.

“It’s not a question of if we can,” Aghassy said of winning league. “We put one set together against Granada, 25-11, and we put a more complete performance today. It’s just a matter of who just keeps progressing and who’s able to play more consistent volleyball. I think girls volleyball, the dynamics change very quickly with a good server behind the service line.”

Sikorski was unsure if this team would be a strong contender, but a win like Wednesday’s was yet another reason she’s kicking herself for not believing sooner.

“I didn’t think that we were going to be the strongest team in the city, but with the amount of time, energy and effort that we put in on this court, things are definitely changing,” Sikorski said.

El Camino will look the bounce back on Monday when the Royals return home to host Granada Hills Charter. Chatsworth will enter tournament play over the weekend before returning to action on Monday with a nonleague match at Royal.

“(I just want to see us) continuing to be confident and have great body language,” Aghassy said. “We’ve had some seniors like Sam Sikorski and Olivia Chouchanian and they’ve been in this program and on the court for two, three years now. So just seeing them lead by example through the ups and the downs, and then the young girls like Bella or anyone that comes off the bench to kind of follow their leads. So I’m just looking forward to seeing the senior group kind of lead us, and you know, seeing what’s in store in the future.”