BURBANK — Already hobbled by a partially hyper-extended right knee, Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' volleyball player Amanda Maalouf fell to the court Tuesday during the fourth game of a nonleague match against Providence.
Clutching her injured knee, the senior setter took some time, hoping the pain would dissipate.
PHOTOS: Bell Jeff vs. Providence girls' volleyball
"I was just hoping that if I took a little time the pain would go away," said Maalouf, a four-year starter. "Although it hurt, there was no way I was coming out."
That's because the Guards made it one of their goals this season to beat the cross-town rival Pioneers. Plus, there was a six-year winning streak against Providence at stake for Bell-Jeff.
With Maalouf directing the Guards on the floor, Bell-Jeff was able to withstand a solid defensive effort by Providence to earn a 26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21 victory against the visiting Pioneers.
The win is the seventh straight against the Pioneers for the Guards, who haven't lost to their rivals since 2006.