GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: TAFT NO MATCH FOR TORREY PINES IN STATE OPENER.

Byline: IVAN OROZCO Staff Writer

The Taft of Woodland Hills girls' volleyball team might have been playing at home Tuesday night, but in one sense the Toreadors were definitely in unfamiliar territory.

Taft had never played in a state playoff match before Tuesday, and it showed, as the Toreadors looked overmatched against Torrey Pines in their CIF state Div. I playoff debut.

The Falcons swept Taft 25-8, 25-18, 25-15 in the opening-round match, ending the Toreadors' season.

Taft, the No. 6 seed, clinched a berth in the state playoffs after wining its first City title, but it had not faced the level of competition No. 3 Torrey Pines brought Tuesday night.

``For city volleyball, we have a long way to go,'' Taft coach Arman Mercado said. ``We need to make some changes in the volleyball rules. The athletic office needs to look at that, because since I've been coaching I can't remember the last time we took a game from the Southern Section or the San Diego Section. We've got to make changes.''

The Toreadors (18-1) were kept off-balance by Torrey Pines' serving and by the hitting of Rose Hanley, who led the Falcons (24-11) with 10 kills. Hanley also served four aces.

Sloppy passing didn't help the Toreadors.

``We didn't pass well and when we passed well their blocking showed up,'' Mercado said.

The Falcons started quick in every game. Torrey Pines led 8-1 in the first game, never giving Taft a chance to get in the game.

Taft tried to ignite its attack behind the hitting of Savannah Thomas, but the Falcons' front row, led by 6-foot-4 Lauren Zaniboni and 6-foot-3 Erin Noonan and Carroll Ingersoll, was there to block almost every hit.

``It's hard to overcome when you finally get a couple of good passes and a couple of good swings and they come back hard on their side,'' Mercado said. ``We haven't played anyone with that size all year long.''

Ingersoll had seven of the Falcons' 16 blocks.

The Toreadors made a run at forcing a fourth game, tying the score in the third game 10-10, but a 19-5 Falcons' run behind Georgi Rai's serving and seven Taft unforced errors ended the match.

``I can't even think of the City championship right now,'' Mercado said. ``For some reason I am trying to figure out what I could have done better to maybe go to four or five (games) and take a chance from there. I'm pretty upset we played that way.''

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