TORRANCE TRIBUNE July 20, 2017 Page 3 Up and Adam West High Volleyball Team Can’t Overcome Rival By Adam Serrao The West High Warriors boys volleyball team came into this season ranked as one of the top teams in the Pioneer League and third overall in Division 3 standings. Needless to say, good things seemed to be in store for the Warriors and head coach Christian Cammayo. For West, the struggle lately has been getting past its rivals from both Torrance High and South High in the division standings. Both inner-city teams finished ahead of the Warriors in the standings in each of the past two seasons leading into 2017. While West was able to take a giant step forward this year, South stood tall as one rival that the Warriors simply couldn’t overcome. Last year in 2016, the West High volleyball team began the regular season by losing its first four games in a row. If that wasn’t enough, it was swept in each and every single one of those games. Somehow the Warriors rallied from their horrific start and, with a key CIF play-in victory over North High, were able to finish in second place in the Pioneer League standings and make it into the playoffs. West wound up losing in the first round, but overall the ability to rebound off of a horrific start made the season a successful one. In 2017, with a change coming at the head coaching position, the Warriors knew that they would immediately begin to see different results. A change was seen instantly with this year’s Warriors club that began in the first game of the regular season when the team impressively took it to a Lakewood squad that wound up finishing second in its own division. West came out on top 2-1 to begin the regular season with a victory. Another win against Chatsworth soon followed to begin the Redondo Invitational Tournament, but that’s when the Warriors had trouble maintaining momentum. A 2-0 loss to El Segundo began what would become a three-game losing streak that had the West High faithful fearful of another letdown similar to the one that the team experienced at the beginning of the season last year. As they typically always tend to do in a long volleyball season, the Warriors rebounded and got back on track with nine victories in their next 10 games. One of those victories was in the team’s first Pioneer League game against their divisional rivals, the North High Saxons. West swept North 3-0 in the match and built momentum going forward with a dominant showing in the San Pedro Tournament. The Warriors won every game of the tournament to bring them to the Gold Division Final where they unfortunately fell to St. Margaret’s. Winning became commonplace for the Warriors after that tournament. In league play, the team went on to dismantle Leuzinger twice with 3-0 sweeps both times, beat North again with a 3-0 sweep, and--unlike many previous seasons--even took down their bitter rivals from Torrance High with two 3-0 sweeps. The Warriors were looking like a powerhouse within their division, but a 6-2 Pioneer League record meant that they had to have lost to at least one team. That team was the one rival that West High has still been unable to solve--the eventual league champion South High Spartans. West’s first loss to its seemingly unbeatable rival from South came in the second Pioneer League game of the season. Coming off of their 3-0 sweep over North, the Warriors had momentum on their side but knew the obstacle that they faced in a matchup with the Spartans. “We know South is one of the best teams in the area and we knew we were in for a tough match,” Cammayo said. “We were very tight and not aggressive.” With five aces in the first set alone, South jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Warriors before winning the set 25-14. Noah Carroll and Bennett Nixt attempted to keep West in the match with three kills each, but ultimately South’s firepower was just too much to handle in what eventually turned into a 3-0 sweep for the Spartans. The Warriors would go on to lose in their next matchup to South by a 3-0 sweep as well. Despite their struggles against the number three team in Division 2, West was still able to rally and not only finish in second place in the Pioneer League but also enter into a first round playoff matchup against the Knight Hawks. Carroll and Nixt came out aggressively as they had done all year for West. It wasn’t long before the team rallied behind its two stars and disposed of Knight in a 3-0 sweep. Up next on the schedule was a matchup with the 27-7 Arroyo Grande Eagles in the second round. The Eagles came into the matchup with West as winners of eight straight. Their momentum didn’t stop there. A 3-0 sweep over the Warriors officially put an end to West’s season in the second round of the Division 3 playoff tournament. A successful season saw a very young West High (19-12, 6-2) team fight all year long, but showed that the team may just have one hurdle left to climb. With only four seniors on the team, the Warriors will have to deal with the loss of Carroll to graduation, but have eight juniors and one sophomore ready and willing to jump in and take his place. Nixt will be back, along with Justin Hight and Jonny Vogt, to lead a young West High squad into a 2018 season with the main goal of finally knocking off the rivals from South High and advancing deep into next season’s playoffs. – Asixlion@earthlink.net • Last Suspect Identified in PCH/242nd St. Fatal Traffic Collision On Wednesday, July 12, officers of the identified as Luis Samaniegobarajas, a 19-yearold Torrance Police Department arrested Zachary Leets, a 19-year-old of Torrance, for Vehicular Manslaughter and associated charges weeks after a tragic collision. On June 03, at approximately 11:53 p.m., officers from the Torrance Police Department responded to a major two-car traffic collision at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 242nd Street. It was determined that a black 1998 Honda Coupe and a blue 2016 Nissan sedan had collided head-on in the southbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway. It appeared the Honda, prior to the collision, may have been racing another vehicle, which was described as a dark-colored possible BMW. This vehicle fled the scene. Investigators believe the BMW is associated with Zachary Leets. The driver allegedly racing in the Honda, of Los Angeles, was treated by Torrance Fire Department Personnel and transferred to a local hospital. He was subsequently arrested by the Torrance Police Department for Reckless Driving and Vehicular Manslaughter. The victim driver of the Nissan, a 20-year-old male resident of Harbor City, was treated by Torrance Fire Department Personnel at the scene, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. This collision is being investigated by the Torrance Police Department’s Traffic Division under the command of Captain Martin Vukotic, Commander of the Special Operations Bureau. Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact the Torrance Police Department’s Traffic Division at (310) 618-5557. – Source: Torrance PD Torrance Library Debuts Smart Cases for Students, Teachers The Torrance Public Library has made some new hands-on learning tools available for checkout – SMART Cases. SMART (Science, Math, Activity, Reading and Teaching) Cases are learning kits based on a scientific concept. Each kit includes two books, a DVD and an activity based on a concept such as the human body, astronomy, insects, earthquakes, oceans and vehicles. They are available to be checked out for three weeks at a time on an adult Torrance Library Card. The kits will be housed at the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library (3301 Torrance Boulevard), but can be requested for checkout at any Torrance library branch. With the assistance of Torrance Unified School District faculty, each SMART Case was evaluated and is geared to a specific grade level, with contents that comply with the framework for Next Generation Science Standards. The cases are suitable to be used one-on-one or with a small group or classroom. SMART Cases are generously sponsored by the Torrance Refining Company. – Source: City of Torrance South Bay Cities Fiber-Optic Master Plan Completed The South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB), in partnership with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), have completed a Broadband Fiber-Optic Master Plan for the South Bay region to support job creation, business retention and layoff aversion. This assessment was paid for by the SBWIB and prepared by Magellan Advisors, a leading consultant for broadband infrastructure planning. The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access and capacity. The report examines how the South Bay region is currently served with broadband infrastructure and focused on the services available to cities, businesses and key economic development zones in the South Bay Area. An essential objective of the study was to confirm the region and South Bay businesses had access to services they needed at prices they could afford. In addition, the project examined what would be required in the future with recommendations on how to meet those needs. One suggestion in particular was to consider the development of a regional fiber optic network called, “SMART-Net”; that would be available to all cities in the South Bay interconnecting them with high capacity, high speed internet access. Initially, this idea would be for city governments to use, but later could be expanded outward if desired by each city to support their economic growth. To fully explore this option, the SBWIB and the SBCCOG are working to launch Phase 2 of the project, which will assess the feasibility of the recommendations and consider more closely the benefits to each South Bay city. Broadband speed and capacity is a crucial driver for job creation and economic growth and is also important for business retention and layoff aversion. Jan Vogel, SBWIB Executive Director said, “We feel this issue is central to the health of the local economy. Investing in broadband infrastructure and ensuring businesses have the tools they need to stay competitive and be successful encourages innovation, economic growth and creates jobs.” The 15 South Bay cities the Fiber-Optic Master Plan analyzed included Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates and Torrance. The SBWIB operates four One Stop Business & Career Centers within the South Bay service area, plus two Teen Centers in Inglewood and Hawthorne. Business and employment services are provided at no cost to the public. To read the full report and for more information on the South Bay Fiber-Optic Master Plan visit the www.sbwib.org/broadband or contact Chris Cagle at (310) 970-7700, ccagle@sbwib.org. – Source: SBWIB Community Briefs El Camino College Establishes Transfer Agreement with LMU El Camino College has established a transfer agreement with Loyola Marymount University to streamline the process for students transferring to the Los Angeles campus. Starting fall 2017, well-prepared El Camino College students will be eligible for guaranteed admission to LMU if GPA and unit requirements are met. Students will be able to transfer into LMU’s liberal arts, business administration, communications and fine arts programs. ECC students will also have access to beneficial services such as campus tours, workshops, financial aid and scholarship information, transfer counseling, pre-admission advising and invitations to campus events. For more information on the El Camino College transfer agreement with Loyola Marymount University, view:http://www.elcamino.edu/ studentservices/co/transfer_services/transferpartnerships. asp. – Source: El Camino College • alone aloI linve e FREE Saving a life from a potential catastrophe EVERY 10 MINUTES! but I’’I’m m never alone. I have Life Alert.® One touch of a button sends help fast, 24/7, can’t • medical • fall • fi re • invasion • CO gas emergencies. For a FREE brochure call: Medical Alert Medical Alert Industry Leader Industry Leader Since 1987 Since 1987 No landline? No problem! SHIPPING! I live even when you can’’t reach a phone for: AS SEEN ON TV 1-855-980-5453
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