Behind the loss, many wins

By Michael Ashcraft --

Dahlia Gonzalez got the call when she was 13. Her mother was dead.

"That was rough," the Lighthouse senior says.

Thus ended the chaos of her childhood. She and her sister saw things a child should never see.

Others would have fallen into drugs, alcohol or whatever dopamine dumps of preference to suffocate the memories.

Dahlia chose to be a victor, not a victim. She chose Jesus. She's had many victories on and off the court.

What does a loss in the first round of playoffs matter compared that?

"This has been one of the best seasons," Dahlia told her teammates through tears and smiles. "I'm proud of every single one of you. I couldn't have asked for a better season."

Led by Dahlia's hitting, the Lighthouse Christian Academy cruised into playoffs. They lost only two sets of 14 games to seize the Div. 8 Southern Section championship. Their impeccable record, according to season final scramble, launched them into Division 4 level playoffs against Studio City's Campbell Hall, who saw them off Thursday 13-25, 9-25, 10-25.

Dahlia got four kills and one ace, a very reduced haul. Usually, she gets double digit kills. Campbell Hall (remember: four divisions up) was an efficient machine.

"We had only one loss this season," Assistant Coach Lauren Jenkins remarked. "This is better than winning the Olympics," Coach Jessica Young added.

That's why Dahlia, crying, was smiling at the end of the game.

The journey has been one where she has cemented friendships and solidified her steps toward success. Her best friend, Allie Scribner, has helped her overcome the troubles of her childhood.

"She’s always there for me as a listening ear or to give me advice," Dahlia said. "If you were to ask me to look back and say my favorite memories of high school, she would be in every single one of them."

Dahlia plans to study kinesiology.

Her sister, freshman Riley Gonzalez, is trending towards success. "I had to mature at a young age to help raise Riley," Dahlia said.

Her father, Benjamin, has been there for the girls, sometimes at great personal risk, to show his unequivocal support for his daughters.

Because she saw some family members making poor decisions, Dahlia decided to not fall into vice and became a Christian at age 12.

"I didn't want to stray from Jesus," Dahlia said. "I knew what my mom was doing wasn't right. My older siblings were doing things that I knew that weren't right when they were younger. I saw that it was hurting them. I didn't want a life like that for me or for Riley. I decided to give my life to Jesus to not go off the rails."

The panorama of life is riddled with losses. You don't want the major points to be losses. A Christian paradox: Even when you lose, you're a winner.

Read more about LCA volleyball: the Jill Chills (Game 1). Sharp shooter Shayla (Game 2), No return policy (Game 3) , Abigail is Elsa (Game 4), God Balls (Game 5), Little girl beat up big boy (Game 6), Craziah for Keziah (Game 7) Flower power (Game 8), Xie xie Shay (Game 9), One in a Jillian (Game 10), Napoleon's Cannoneers(Game 11), Ethiopian Queen (Game 12), Make them pay, Shay (Game 13), Champions (Game 14), Muhammad Allie.

About this reporter: Michael Ashcraft teaches journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy of Santa Monica.