GOING UP Eagle Paul Estes (8) leaps to whack back Jaguar Milan Marinkovic's (9) slap shot, while Andres Larsen (7) looks on. Jaguar Mateus De Carvalho waits to defend. Ruth Nyquist, Christian Learning
Jaguars win battle royale over Eagles
It started out as if the Cooperative varsity boys volleyball team was going to have an easy time of it Tuesday afternoon against Christian Learning in their home gym.
And the Jaguars would ultimately win two sets to one, but the Eagles would put them through a wringer in the process.
Everything went right for the Jaguars in the first set in which they took an early lead and then went on to win 25-10.
The Eagles' play was lackluster with numerous service errors, while the Jaguars clicked. Wilson Salvatierra artfully set up time after time an array of tall, hard-hitting froint men led by Juan Alfredo Abuawad, Mateus De Carvalho, and Milan Marinkovic.
The Jaguars played what might be called "Thinking Man's Volleyball" as they changed deliveries, smashing it one time, slapping into an open spot the next, then slashing across the court the time after that.
The Eagle resistance, however, stiffened dramatically in the second set, though the Jaguars continued to play well. Abuawad won several dramatic clashes at the net in the early going, but the score remained close, and the teams were tied at 9-9.
The Eagles began to go ahead on a set of efficient serves by Andres Larsen, and forged a widening lead as junior Jesse Hallock began to get his timing down on smashes at the net. And now, moreover, it was the Eagles who were showing a knack for slapping the ball into the open spot.
Then with score at 22-18 in their favor the Eagles put on a final surge to take the set 25-19. The final point came fittingly on a spike by Hallock through an attempted double block by the Jaguars.
However, it was the third set that made the match one of the most exciting played in recent years. The Eagles jumped off to a 4-0 lead and it looked for a moment that they were going to beat the Jaguars as soundly in this set as the Jaguars had beaten them in the opening set.
However, a fine service stint by Salvatierra, punctuated by some Abuawad spikes, brought the score to 5-5. Now the game became like warfare (without the killing) as the two teams outdid one another with impossible saves, hard-hit spikes, and, increasingly, amazing blocks.
Again the score was tied at 9-9, but this time it was the Jaguars who asserted themselves. De Carvalho helped move the score to 13-9 with two beatifully tapped balls to open spots.
After that it was once again all-out war as the Eagles brought the count to 14-12 during a series of points decided by long, brilliantly played rallies.
The final point was won in almost anti-climactic fashion as Marinkovic served an ace to an open spot in the middle of the court. Suddenly, there was silence. The war was over, 15-12.
It started out as if the Cooperative varsity boys volleyball team was going to have an easy time of it Tuesday afternoon against Christian Learning in their home gym.
And the Jaguars would ultimately win two sets to one, but the Eagles would put them through a wringer in the process.
Everything went right for the Jaguars in the first set in which they took an early lead and then went on to win 25-10.
The Eagles' play was lackluster with numerous service errors, while the Jaguars clicked. Wilson Salvatierra artfully set up time after time an array of tall, hard-hitting froint men led by Juan Alfredo Abuawad, Mateus De Carvalho, and Milan Marinkovic.
The Jaguars played what might be called "Thinking Man's Volleyball" as they changed deliveries, smashing it one time, slapping into an open spot the next, then slashing across the court the time after that.
The Eagle resistance, however, stiffened dramatically in the second set, though the Jaguars continued to play well. Abuawad won several dramatic clashes at the net in the early going, but the score remained close, and the teams were tied at 9-9.
The Eagles began to go ahead on a set of efficient serves by Andres Larsen, and forged a widening lead as junior Jesse Hallock began to get his timing down on smashes at the net. And now, moreover, it was the Eagles who were showing a knack for slapping the ball into the open spot.
Then with score at 22-18 in their favor the Eagles put on a final surge to take the set 25-19. The final point came fittingly on a spike by Hallock through an attempted double block by the Jaguars.
However, it was the third set that made the match one of the most exciting played in recent years. The Eagles jumped off to a 4-0 lead and it looked for a moment that they were going to beat the Jaguars as soundly in this set as the Jaguars had beaten them in the opening set.
However, a fine service stint by Salvatierra, punctuated by some Abuawad spikes, brought the score to 5-5. Now the game became like warfare (without the killing) as the two teams outdid one another with impossible saves, hard-hit spikes, and, increasingly, amazing blocks.
Again the score was tied at 9-9, but this time it was the Jaguars who asserted themselves. De Carvalho helped move the score to 13-9 with two beatifully tapped balls to open spots.
After that it was once again all-out war as the Eagles brought the count to 14-12 during a series of points decided by long, brilliantly played rallies.
The final point was won in almost anti-climactic fashion as Marinkovic served an ace to an open spot in the middle of the court. Suddenly, there was silence. The war was over, 15-12.
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HANDS ACROSS THE NET Griffin Joaquin Casteñeda and Knight Matias Martinez have a touching encounter above the ball. Jonatan Muñoz, InternationalGriffins take the Knights in straight sets
The International varsity boys volleyball team got some stiff resistance from Cambridge in the opening set, but went on to take the match two sets to none in the International gym Tuesday.
The score of the opening set was 25-20, but the Knights resistance seemed to break down in the second set, which the Griffins won 25-13.
