SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS: SIMI RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST TOP SEED.

Byline: Daily News

The Simi Valley boys' volleyball team fell behind by two games early Tuesday and nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback, but lost 25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12 to host Long Beach Wilson in second-round game of the Southern Section Div. I playoffs.

``We played shaky in the beginning. Maybe we had a few butterflies, nerves,'' Simi Valley coach Peter Piexoto said. ``We got some momentum in the third game. We fought, fought and fought. We battled all night long.

``In the end, we didn't make a couple of plays when we needed to and that was the difference.''

Ian Jackson had 26 kills for Simi Valley (18-8). Teammate Eric Rasmussen had 10 kills and 16 digs, Jeremy Wright finished with 44 assists and Michael Hammon added 16 digs.

``The guys could have rolled over and gave up,'' Piexoto said. ``To their credit, they played hard. They've been doing that all year. It's tough losing but I'm pleased with the effort.''

In other Div. I games:

--Loyola d. St. John Bosco 3-0: C.J. Schellenberg had 16 kills, Jake Rosetti added 10 kills and Jim Hirschmamn had nine kills for second-seeded and host Loyola of Los Angeles (26-5) in a 25-11, 25-23, 25-22 victory.

Teammate Andy McGuire added 41 assists, a season high for a three-game match.

DIV. IV

--Oak Park d. Mayfair 3-0: Justin Burridge had 21 kills, nine in the third game, in a 25-20, 25-18, 25-20 second-round victory for host and 10th-seeded Oak Park (21-3).

Jason Fahn had 16 kills and Alex Fliegelman had 32 assists for Oak Park, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time in its three-year history. Oak Park next plays Thursday at Valley Christian of Cerritos.

``We're surprised with how well we've in a short period of time,'' Oak Park coach Meredith Mangum said. ``We're peaking at the perfect time. There's a great camaraderie with this team.''

--Oaks Christian d. Crossroads 3-0: Brendan Skinner had 14 kills, six digs and three aces for top-seeded and host Oaks Christian of Westlake Village (25-1) in a 25-13, 25-5, 25-13 victory. Teammate Brandon Denham added 36 assists and two blocks and Alex Walker finished with 10 kills, seven digs and two aces.

--Village Christian d. Malibu 3-2: Chris Shuan had 14 kills and nine digs and Trevor Schack added 14 kills and 11 digs, but their efforts weren't enough as host Malibu (16-10) lost 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 18-25, 19-17.

DIV. V

--Viewpoint d. Laguna Blanca 3-0: Alex Robertson had 13 kills and Jared Weiss had 10 kills as host Viewpoint of Calabasas improved to 27-0 with a 25-8, 25-8, 25-12 victory in a second-round match.

The Patriots advance to Friday's quarterfinals against Capistrano Valley Christian.

``We're on a great run. The seniors have taken it upon themselves to keep this thing rolling,'' Viewpoint coach Mike Talamantes said. ``These guys don't think they're going to lose to anyone. We have an air of confidence. Nobody's going to stop us.''

That was apparent from the outset Tuesday as just about everyone contributed. Matt Talamantes had 32 assists and three kills, Robbie Silverman had eight kills, Mike Payne and Julian Nagendran each added seven kills and Blake Beisswanger chipped in with 13 digs.

Equally important, was the play of Silverman and Payne and at the net. The tandem combined for nine stuff blocks and limited at Troy Tamas, a 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter, to a pair of kills.

``Silverman and Payne were focused. It was personal for them,'' Talamantes said. ``It starts with those two guys. They fuel our offense.''

--Flintridge Prep d. Oakwood 3-0: Dennis Flynn had 15 kills and four blocks and Jeff Russell added 33 assists for Flintridge Prep of La Canada (16-8) in a 25-12, 25-13, 25-13 victory at home.