Dig This: Monroe Reaches the Final

NORTH HILLS — In many ways, this might be the best little team in the City Section.

Two of its top players are smaller than 5 feet 8, but Monroe High stood tall in a 15-10, 15-5, 16-14 victory over Chatsworth in a City Championship boys’ volleyball semifinal on Tuesday night at Monroe.

Using an active, floor-hugging back-row defense, the top-seeded Vikings (16-0) repeatedly frustrated Chatsworth’s attack.

And their transition to offense was fast. Very fast.

Chito Lobregas, a 5-5 outside hitter, had 15 kills and Razell Loveria, a 5-7 outside hitter, added nine kills for Monroe, which plays No. 2-seeded Taft in the City Championship match on Friday at Cal State Northridge.

“When teams look at us on the court, they see a bunch of little guys, and next thing you know, they’re underestimating us,” Loveria said. “That’s what we want. We want people to think we’re not that good.”

Oh, but they are.

In fact, the Vikings are one victory away from proving they belong with the big guys.

Last season, they won the lower-division City title, and they have made a smooth transition to the upper division.

Coach Bob Berrenson, choosing his words carefully to avoid inciting Taft, a team the Vikings beat in five games earlier this season, said: “We’re playing pretty well right now.”

Berrenson did open up when asked about his team’s defense, which doesn’t involve dominant blocking as much as diving and digging.

“Not a whole lot of balls hit the floor,” Berrenson said. “We dig great.”

The Vikings made believers of Chatsworth, which was trying to make its first championship-match appearance since 1990.

After dropping the first two games, Chatsworth held a 14-9 lead on the way to an apparent third-game victory. But Monroe, behind three kills by Lobregas, rallied to win the game and match.

“They don’t have a lot of big guys, but they’re pretty small and pretty quick,” said David Lurth, who had nine kills for No. 5-seeded Chatsworth (10-5).

Said Chatsworth Coach Bud Dow: “It’s the best defensive team we’ve seen all year. No question. They handle everything.”

Not to be overlooked is the only player with true size on Monroe, 6-5 middle blocker Jose Sanchez, who had 10 kills and a surprising nine digs.

But this match belonged to the members of the 6-feet-and-under club.

“We’re out to prove we’re No. 1,” Loveria said. “We want to be the big boys.”