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| GETTING THROUGH -- Smash by Griffin Cristian Coronado (left, number not visible) caroms off Jaguar Jose Abuawad's (2) attempted block for a Griffin point. Jonatan Muñoz, International |
Griffins win, tie for first
By Sung Eun Song
International School
The International boys varsity volleyball team knocked Cooperative out of the ranks of the undefeated, and climbed into a tie with Jaguars for first place, with a hard fought but straight sets victory Tuesday at the International gym.
The International victory constituted Cooperative's first defeat since 2008, as the Jaguars had gone undefeated last year in both the regular season and the championship tournament. The win also represented a return to first place for International, a position the school's boys varsity had often occupied in earlier years.
The match was hot from the beginning. Both teams were so passionate and aggressive that neither of them was able to sieze a decisive advantage over the other. Jaguar Juan Alfredo Abuawad made excellent spikes in a manner reminiscent of an eagle swooping down on its prey, and his brother Josue served the ball powerfully and accurately. In the International team, Juan Narvaéz consistently spiked the ball to open spots in the opponents’ court, and Federico Matus and Eric .Takayama ably set him up.
Cooperative started strong in the first set, but it was International that seemed to take control in the middle stages. But Cooperative clawed its way back and tied the score 24-24 largely on the basis of spikes from Abuawad
International answered with a strike by Santiago Maldonado. Cooperative benefited from a serving error by International, but then committed a series of its own errors to give a stunning victory to the International team. 27-25 victory.
The second set began with the International’s serving its way to a lead, but just like the first set the game was nip and tuck. International built a lead in the middle stages, and Cooperative tried to climb back. But this time the Cooperative counterattack fell short by a slightly wider margin, and International won 25-23.
The two teams could finish the season tied by winning their final games next week. Cooperative faces the seemingly more difficult opponent in Christian Learning, which has been erratic but has shown flashes of brilliance. International faces winless Cambridge. However, Cambridge took a set from International in their close first meeting.
Eagles defeat Knights 2-0
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
The Christian learning varsity boys volleyball team triumphed over the Cambridge Knights through good teamwork and technique in a match played in the Cooperative gymnasium Tuesday.
The Eagles shot off to an 8-3 lead before the Knights could organize themselves. The game evened out a little bit, but the Eagles stretched their lead to 15-8. After this, the Eagles went on a scoring streak, scoring 10 points while holding the Knights to just 2. The Eagles won the first set 25-10.
The second set was much closer than the first, but the Eagles still dominated the court. The Knights held the Eagles from getting a big lead, but the Eagles led 14-11 by the middle of the set. The Eagles then pulled ahead, bringing the score to 22-15 and finally ending the set at 25-16, winning the match in the process.
