Falcons a swimming success

In a nailbiting race to the finish, the girls' cross-country team defeats Arcadia, 31-32, to earn a share of its eighth straight Pacific League title. Claudia Pham leads the Falcons with a second-place finish, but the Falcons' top six runners equate in the final, as No. 6 finisher Ali Johnson comes in 11th, a spot ahead of Arcadia's No. 5 runner which sealed the one-point win. Freshman Erika Johnson also comes up big, taking fifth overall and second for the Falcons, just in front of Anneke Kakebeen and Brooke Moultrie.

The boys' cross-country team takes third at the league finals and third overall in the season standings. Mike Duncan leads the way with an 11th-place finish.

• Nov. 8, 2010 — Chia survives a three-player playoff for the final two spots to advance in the CIF Individual Final and Women's Southern California Gold Assn. Qualifying Tournament. She finishes with a 15-over-par 87 and is one of 37 golfers to move on.

• Nov. 9, 2010 — Coach Steven Umemoto's girls' volleyball team is ousted in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2-A playoffs by Palm Springs, 25-11, 25-19, 25-12.

Said Umemoto: "I don't think we've faced that kind of team this year. I think we were a little shocked by how fast their offense was."

Standout Leah Gagliardi tallies 11 digs in her final match as a Falcon. CV finishes its season at 14-14 after going 8-6 in league for fourth place.

• Nov. 10, 2010 — Five goals from Dearman and three from Wojciechowski highlight a dominant, 18-1, win over Los Altos in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs. Colvin blocks 11 shots in three quarters of work.

"They understand that they need to keep it going [like the regular season]," Crescenta Valley Coach Jan Sakonju said. "The No. 1 priority for us is to be able to focus on our own game and look at the tendencies of our opponents. We've been able to rely on our assets, which is our goal tending, hole/set and counter-attacking."

Chia's impressive postseason run ends right before the state championship. The freshman cards a seven-over-par 79 to finish in a tie for 49th place at the WSCGA Foundation tournament. The top-six finishers make the cut for state.

"The other players and coaches were telling me that I did real good for a freshman," Chia said. "That makes me feel good."