God balls

By Michael Ashcraft --

Understandably, Karine Keyser, the tallest player of Lighthouse, plays front row, and Lucy Young, the second shortest, plays back row.

But Coach switched them Tuesday against Glendale Adventist Academy to great effect.

Karine got to serve, and Lucy got to hit.

Karine doesn't do the leaping wallop of the Olympics. She just does a regular serve with her feet on the ground. But four of them came out aces, and they carried Lighthouse Christian Academy to one point from clinching the three sets.

"I think God just put himself in my hand, and it worked out," Karine said.

God balls?

Lighthouse is a Christian school, and Karine is typically humble. So for her to give credit outside herself is normal.

She's 5'9", so Coach uses her most for blocking and some hitting.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Lucy is 5'4". When it comes to serving, she probably has the highest batting average of the team. It's not a fast ball; it's more of a sinker. And it trips up opponents.

In Game 3, Lucy was put in the front run as a hitter. She did well.

"We tried a couple new things. We tried Lucy in the front row. I thought she played really well this game," her mom the coach, Jessica Young, said. "She got a lot of good digs."

LCA's season so far has been a steam roll. They have yet to lose a set, much less a game. They're smelling playoffs.

The sets against Glendale Academy were typical. Saints superiority was evident from Game 1. Seniors Dahlia Gonzalez and Allie Scribner, who are BFFs and BFVs (best friends in volleyball), were tag-teaming terror on Glendale.

Freshman Jillian Jenkins was making kills like an alpha predator. Shayla Papik was bringing the heat with her serves, although actually the un-airconditioned gym during LA's heat wave was also keeping things uncomfortably warm.

The Saints won 25-15 and then in Game 2, 25-14.

In Game 3, the Cougars appeared completely defanged. Making silly mistakes, they appeared resigned to defeat. It gave the sensation of a bounce house in the process of deflating.

Instead of moving in for the kill, the Saints also dropped their game -- which Coach Jessica blamed on the heat of the gym. They looked lethargic, even to the point of allowing Glendale to keep up with points (though never allowing them to go up a point or more above LCA). It ended 25-19.

At the same time, Coach Jessica experimented. She swapped Lucy for Karine from back to front and vice versa, to good effect.

It was only a year ago that Glendale delivered LCA its only season loss.

It wasn't repeated this year.

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)

About this reporter: Mike Ashcraft teaches journalism at Lighthouse Christian Academyof Santa Monica.