WOODLAND HILLS — El Camino Real senior middle blocker Lua Guimaraes became a dancer first before touching a volleyball.
While volleyball eventually became her sport, Guimaraes, who is 6-foot-1 with a wide wingspan, never forgot the tools that made her successful on the wooden dance floors: star clips and hairspray.
It turns out hairspray and different chemical compounds not only help keep clean looks together, it works as a perfect adhesive against the aging, slippery gym floor at El Camino Real.
Hairspray, star clips and a collective attack led by Guimaraes helped lead the biggest comeback of the season for El Camino Real, as it shocked Chatsworth in five sets, 25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 29-27, 16-14, on Wednesday.
“I love doing the cheers and I always have the hairspray with me,” Guimaraes said. “The star clips keep our team unified together.”
El Camino Real (2-2) was on the brink of losing in the fourth set, as it trailed 24-23 and faced match point. But it rallied to force a fifth set.
Freshman defensive specialist Issa Chavez showed poise in redirecting shots from Chatsworth seniors Addison Flores and Taylor Khayatpour.
“It showed that as a team what we do in practice shows up on the court,” Guimaraes said. “When you fight for each other, it doesn’t matter what the score is.”
Sophomore setter Sydney Rosenberg kept El Camino Real attacking after being down 8-0 in the first set before helping rattle off a 9-0 run.
“I take into account the fact that my teammates have my back,” Rosenberg said. “Even if I’m not playing to the best of my ability, they all have my back.”
El Camino Real senior captain Eden Tolbert began attacking with Rosenberg’s sets, and junior Riley Felton’s play helped energize the team.
“The energy was just flowing and raising into the sky,” Tolbert said.
Felton’s attacking during the fourth and fifth sets ultimately proved vital for El Camino Real, which is trying to win the West Valley League title this season and earn a high seed in the CIF LA City Section playoffs.
“There was just a lot of excitement and happiness with all the plays we had,” Felton said. “I knew I had to adjust and I wanted to help my team win.”
Chatsworth (13-6) will look to try to bounce back Saturday at Venice.
Chatsworth coach Sina Aghassy contested that El Camino Real was out of rotation at match point. He didn’t believe his dispute with officials impacted the energy of his team or discredited the level of performance displayed by the Royals.
“We had opportunities to put the game away,” Aghassy said. “We didn’t convert on those points.”
The Royals’ rally offered a boost for one of the blueblood schools in the Valley, which has gone through controversy in the opening weeks of the fall sports season. Baseball coach Josh Lienhard, girls soccer coach Eric Choi and boys tennis coach Jason Grider were asked to leave the school’s campus on Aug. 13 while an investigation takes place regarding CPR and first-aid cards that allegedly did not meet the school’s requirements.
For El Camino Real, the night was jubilant. A former dancer who turned hairspray into a multi-purpose tool used for athletic competition. No talk of controversy. It was players in blue and gold uniforms showing what happens when packaging creativity and resilience.
Hairy solutions for slippery situations.
“Tonight was just about energy, winning and wanting it for the players,” Guimaraes said.
Ethan Hanson: Obsession and long road back home to the Valley
Questions arise over El Camino Real’s suspension of three coaches