BOIIINNNGGG!!! -- The Jaguars can whack the ball when they need to, as Jaguar captain Juan Alfredo Abuawad demonstrates here. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
Undefeated Jags beat 2d-Place Eagles 2-0
The Cooperative varsity boys volleyball team, playing with matchless precision and consummate finesse, easily defeated Christian Learning Tuesday in their home gym Tuesday to finish the season with a spotless 6-0 record.
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GOING FOR THE BLOCK --Mateus de Carvalho leaps to stop an Eagle shot. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
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The 2009 Jaguars will no doubt long be remembered for the mastery they showed against their competition this year, losing only one set all season. That set had been to the Eagles, but Tuesday's game was a much more one-sided affair.
The Jaguars took the first set 25-17, leading all the way. They were even more dominant in the second set, winning 25-11.
The Eagles had managed to keep the second set interesting in the early going, and were actually within one point of the Jaguars at 8-7. But after that Cooperative seemed to go into turbodrive.
Are they really that good? "They were today," said Eagles coach Tim Gale after the game. "We made some little mistakes. They didn't make any."
Precision was indeed the hallmark of the Jaguars play. They kept the ball in play with some saves that amazed the crowd, but, amazingly, failed to surprise the players, who seemed to expect them.
Jaguar Coach Jesus Flores said after the game that ball control is what he has tried to teach the players. When returning, the players are told to go for the open spot, to keep the ball going deep, and only try to put the ball away when everything is perfectly aligned.
And the Jaguars did as they were told.
HIGH FIVES -- Knight, Griffin both prepare to hammer ball falling right in between them.Juan Carlos Coronel, Cambridge
Knights score a big win over Griffins, 2-0
The Cambridge varsity boys volleyball team won its first regular season game since at least 2006 with a straight sets victory over International at the International gym Tuesday.
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FLYING GRIFFIN -- Griffin goes high to try to hammer the ball past Knights double-block.
Juan Carlos Coronel, Cambridge
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Cambridge played almost flawless defense, while the Griffins were plagued with unforced errors and seemed unable to make key set-ups to their best hitters.
Cambridge took the first set handily, 25-13. Things tightened up in the second set, but the Knights continued to hold the advantage, and prevailed 25-21.
