Junior libero Kayla Upham helped lead a solid defense as visiting Nova defeated Hollywood Hills 21-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22 in a rival matchup on Tuesday night.

Upham had 27 digs, eight service points, two aces and a kill. In the past, this was a district battle, but this season Hollywood Hills (12-7) is the top seed in District 11-6A, while the Titans (15-4) are the second seed in District 16-5A.

St. Thomas Aquinas is tops in District 16-5A. So the Titans are favored to be the district runner-up and advance to their first region quarterfinal.

Tuesday, they played for bragging rights, and Hollywood Hills, led by senior standout Taylor Miller, took the first game. Miller, who had 28 kills (five tips, two blocks) and 18 digs, recorded nine kills in game one including the game clincher.

Nova regrouped, especially on defense, and won the next three.

``Our defense is so important,'' said Sanna Nagi, a junior who had 14 kills, 11 digs, 12 service points and three aces. ``They killed us a lot in the middle in the first game. We specifically practiced middle defense [for this match]. We just had to be more scrappy and push it out.''

After game one, that's what they did, coupled with a balanced attack. Senior leader Sara Saxner had 16 digs and 16 kills (two blocks). Paola Arguelles added 10 kills (four blocks). Lefty Cassie Thompson had eight kills (two tips) and 17 assists. Jennifer Dodd had four kills (one block), and Sharron Rabinovich had two kills.

Sophomore Setter Christy Brinson, who had 18 assists and 10 service points, and Thompson did a good job distributing the ball to a number of hitters.

In the second game, Saxner had six kills (one block). Arguelles had three kills (two blocks). Nagi had three kills, two service points and an ace, and Thompson had two kills and Dodd one. Brinson had six service points.

In game three, Dodd and Saxner had kills to put Nova ahead 23-16. Thompson added a long tip, and Arguelles ended the game with a kill. In the fourth game, Hollywood Hills battled back, saving three match points, but was too far behind.

Bola Adeba, who had 11 kills (two blocks), had five kills in the fourth game. Freshman setter Beth Shoaff had three kills (three tips), and Miller added five kills. Saxner had six kills in game four and Nagi four kills including the match clincher.

In the opener, Shoaff had four service points as the Spartans evened things at 21. Miller added a kill and a tip for a kill for a three-point lead, 24-21, before ending the game on a kill off a quick set from Shoaff. Hollywood Hills played without freshman libero Drew Van Camp who was ill.

Hollywood Hills: Taylor Miller 28 kills (five tips, two blocks), 18 digs, four service points (ace); Beth Shoaff eight kills (four tips), 10 service points, 26 assists; Bola Adeba 11 kills (two blocks), seven service points; Ayalivis DeLaRosa four service points, one kill (tip); Amanda Wright five kills (one tip); Jessica Sotelo one service point.

Nova: Paola Arguelles 10 kills (four blocks); Sara Saxner 16 kills (two blocks), 16 digs, four service points; Sanna Nagi 14 kills, 11 digs, 12 service points (three aces); Christy Brinson 18 assists, 10 service points (ace); Kori Roberts one kill; Kayla Upham 27 digs, eight service points (two aces), one kill; Cassie Thompson eight kills (two tips), 17 assists, four service points (two aces); Sarah Gonzalez five service points; Jennifer Dodd four kills (one block); Sharron Rabinovich two kills.

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