Taft Finds Out Why Palisades Is a City Power

Taft High’s girls’ volleyball team learned firsthand why Palisades has won 21 City Section volleyball titles.

Even in a down year, the Dolphins know what it takes to win and demonstrated that by upsetting the Toreadors 15-12, 5-15, 15-10, 12-15, 15-10 in a first-round City Championship match that lasted more than 2 1/2 hours Monday night at Taft.

Pathar Rungratanasunthurn led the No. 8-seeded Toreadors (10-3) with 17 kills. Felisha Bratford and Mary Mendoza each added 10 kills for Taft, which reeled off six consecutive points to close out the second game.

“We played inconsistent the whole match,” said Arman Mercado, Taft’s first-year coach. “If we had played like we’re capable of playing we would have beaten them.”

Ninth-seeded Palisades (11-3) took a 9-1 lead in the decisive fifth game. Taft pulled to within 10-8 on a kill by Rungratanasunthurn and staved off five match points before losing.