JV Girls Soccer Semifinals

RISKY CATCH -- Knight Mako Ueno (23) catches Fernanda Gutierrez' smash. The flagrant foul earned Gutierreza a penalty shot, but the Cambridge goalie blocked it and so the tactic paid off.  Jonatan

Muñoz, International

Griffinettes take charge early

By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
The International girls junior varsity soccer team defeated a Cambridge team with only eight players Tuesday on the International home field.

 The win puts International into the JV championship game against Cooperative

 Due to their lack of players,the Knights started the game off playing very defensively. The Griffins dominated in ball possession, and the ball stayed on the Knight's half of the field for most of the first half.

 The Griffins were finally able to break through the Knights' defense after many attempts as a loose ball in the penalty box was shot, rebounded, and then shot again for a goal Sophia Sciaron.

 Soon after, the Griffins struck again, with Antonia Maggi intercepting a short goal kick and  kicking it past the goalie and through the legs of a defender for a goal.

Later in the first half, the Griffins had another shot on goal, but a Knight caught the ball (rather than taking a hit right in the face) for an obvious foul and penalty kick. The Knights goalie blocked the penalty shot, however.

 The Griffins were back a short while later, with Sciaron scoring her second goal of the game to make the score 3-0 at the half.

In the second half, both teams played with eight players, and this evened the playing field. Cambridge was much more successful. They carried the ball into enemy territory numerous times and kept the Griffins from increasing their lead. However, the Griffins still dominated play with many close shots, including one that bounced off the crossbar and almost straight down. 

Late score gives win to Jaguars 

 The Cooperative junior varsity girls soccer team snatched a 2-1 victory over Christian Learning with a goal by Michelle Lederman in the closing minutes of the game.
  The win by the Jaguars sets up a JV championship game pitting them against the International Griffins. the same two schools will clash in the varsity championship.
 The Jaguars and Eagles had battled to a 1-1 tie in their previous meeting this season, and seemed to be heading for the same result in this game before Lederman capped a breakaway play when she took charge of a centering pass and banged it into the goal. Before then neither team's attackers had been able to escape the defense.
Maria Paula Aguirre had put the Jaguars ahead in the first half when she had been able to ricochet a crossing pass into the goal. Eva Brown had evened things up for the Eagles with a goal early in the second half.

Boys Varsity Volleyball Semifinals

NO STOPPING THIS ONE -- Eagle Caleb Ropp (2) powers a spike past attempted block by Griffin Federico Mathus (4). Jonatan Muñoz, International 

Griffins come from behind to win

By Sung Eun Song
International School 
The International boys varsity volleyball team had a little difficulty getting past Christian Learning in the playoff game Tuesday in their home gym. The Griffins lost the first set 19-25, but then took the second set 25-16 and had even less trouble in the third set, winning by 15-9.

The win put International into the championship game against Cooperative, which also won. 

The first set was very intense right from the beginning of the first set. Both teams fought each other point-by-point, with  neither able to open any  of them making any great margin over the other. They traded points in long rallies in which the ball went back and forth 15 times or more with both sides making powerful spikes, delicate placements, and intrepid receptions.

. The outstanding players of the first set were Jesse Hallock and Conroy Janzen. Janzen was a great attacker, who fired spikes so keen and sharp that they were completely unblockable. Hallock also played outstanding volleyball, dealing with balls flexibly. Thanks to their cooperative play, Christian Learning team won the first set 25-19.
 The second set was a bit different. As both teams were so great technically and physically, the team with fewer mistakes and more fluency started to take control. And that team was the Griffins. During the second set, Juan Narvaez  provided exciting moments with  little finesse taps just over the net that hit an open spot, and excellent blocking of the opponents’ strong smashes.

  The Griffins gradually built their lead, and won 25-16.

 In the third set, both teams started in determined fashion. After a tie at 6-6, however, the Griffins began to pull ahead, finally winning 15-9.

Jaguars pound out decisive victory

The undefeated Cooperative boys volleyball team had too much firepower for Cambridge Tuesday afternoon, and the Jaguars won the match in their home gym in straight sets.
The win puts them into the championship game against International, a team they have battled evenly this season, with each team taking one of the two matches played. In terms of the championship game the big news from this game may have been the return to action of Mateus De Carvalho, who hurt his ankle earlier in the season in a match against Christian Learning. He and senior captain Juan Alfredo Abuawad had served as the twin towers of the Cooperative offense, which last efficiency after De Carvalho's injury.
Neither Carvalho nor the Jaguar team was seriously tested in the match against Cambridge. The bigger Cooperative team served better, received better, and hit harder. The Jaguars won the first set 25-7, and then substituted liberally in the second set, which they won 25-12.

JV Boys Volleyball Semifinals

GIVE AND TAKE -- Griffin German Ferraris taps back a return. Jonatan Muñoz, International 

Little Griffins beat Eagles, 2-0

By Sung Eun Song
International School
 The International boys junior varsity volleyball team easily polished off Christian Learning in straight sets in the game played at International gym Tuesday. International won the first set 25-15, and then took the second set 25-12.
 International will now play Cooperative in the junior varsity championship game.

 International got off to the faster start in the opening set, jumping out to an 8-2 lead. The Griffins early dominance in the match was largely based on hard spikes and accurate serves.  The Little Eagles were almost able to catch up as they began to work together better. They closed the Griffin advantage to 12-10. 

  The game then seesawed for a while before the International boys strung together several points in a row, pulling themselves into a 22-15 lead again. The Christian Learning boys, who seemed to lose morale, could not get back into the game. The Little Griffins won the first set 25-15.

 The second set was a continuation of the first set. The game started with the Griffins’ taking a dominant lead and this time the Eagles couldn’t cut into the margin. The Griffins defeated the Eagles 25-12.

 Junior Jags overpower Knights

 The Cooperative junior varsity boys volleyball team made short work of Cambridge in their home gym Tuesday.
 The Jaguars won the first set 25-7 and had only marginally greater difficulty taking the second set 25-14. The Jaguars will now play International for the junior varsity championship. Cambridge and Christian Learning will fight it out in  the consolation game for third place.

Playoff Schedule Posted

Playoffs To Begin  Tuesday
 
With New Compressed Format

The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League high commission decided Thursday, October 14, to cancel the rest of the regular season and proceed directly to the playoffs for soccer and volleyball..(See schedule at right.)
The action came after the forced postponement of last week's games because of unhealthy air conditions caused by excessive smoke. Those games, had they been played, would have concluded the season.
 However, it has been noted that there was little possibility that the outcome of those games could have had an important effect on the pairings for the playoffs.
 There are three races in which teams are tied for the League lead -- boys and girls varsity volleyball and girls junior varsity volleyball. In all three cases, International and Cooperative teams are tied with 4-1 records.
However, those teams were not scheduled to meet in the final week for what might have been tie-breaking contests, meaning that rankings would have depended on factors like points scored, or sets won anyway.
 The new playoff format combines the junior varsity and varsity semifinals. In previous years they had been played in different weeks.

Thursday's games also smoked out

More postponements -- on to 
playoffs?

The full slate of SCISL soccer and volleyball contests scheduled for today, Thursday, October 14, has been called off because of the high levels of smog in the air. The League's ruling body is scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss ways to amend the schedule. One possibility would be to cancel this week's games, which would have concluded the regular season, and go on to the playoffs next week in accordance with the original schedule, with seeding figured on the basis of the games played to date.

Further bulletins as they are received . . .

Tuesday's games postponed

"Smoked Out" Again

High levels of smoke and dust in  the air ("smust") once again forced a postponement of scheduled activities of the Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The lack of rain and small prospect of rain in the weather forecasts leaves the status of Thursday's games in doubt as well. As soon as the schedule has been revised it will be posted on the the website. Please stand by  . . .

Boys Varsity Soccer

TANGLED TALE -- Griffin Francisco Gonzales' attempted shot on goal is foiled by Jaguar Esteban Sauto (19). Jonatan Muñoz, International.

Jaguars edge Griffins in squeaker, 1-0

 The Cooperative boys varsity soccer continued its unbeaten streak but was sorely tested by an upset-minded International team.
 The final score was 1-0 Jaguars in a game played on the International field in which defense dominated. The winning margin came when Jaguar Jose Manuel Vasquez headed home a free kick late in the first half to account for all of the scoring in the game.
 As a result of the win the Jaguars now hold undisputed title to first place in the League standings, but the Griffins have clearly established that they are a team to be reckoned with, and will be looking for another shot at spoiling the Jaguars season in the playoffs.(To do so, however, they will have to beat Cambridge, who tied the Griffins in their first meeting.)  The Jaguars and Griffins also tied in their first meeting, 0-0.
 The remarkable thing about the game was that even though the two teams played with great intensity, and have both shown that they can score goals this year, there were only a few other close calls on scoring attempts until the last ten seconds of the game when International hit the Cooperative goal twice -- once by Santiago Rosado, and then again by Gary Suarez a split-second later -- with a final try by Mauricio Nostas sailing high just before the final whistle blew.
 This is not to say there wasn't plenty of action. Both goalies were involved in crunching collisions, but in both instances the goalies had possession of the ball. Otherwise scoring possibilities seemed to crop up from time to time at both ends of the field, only to be quickly snuffed out by the defenses. It was as if neither team could get its offensive artillery unlimbered.

HIGH AND LOW -- High-flying Knight and Eagle Richard Ling (4) joust for control -- Katarina Holland, Christian Learning

Knights edge Eagles in squeaker, 1-0 

 On a beautiful evening for soccer, with a cool, light wind from the south and  no rain, The Cambridge boys varsity soccer team got by Christian Learning 1-0 in a match as close as the first one between the two teams,  just minus the scoring frenzy. Cambridge won the first game 4-3. 
__________

GET THE BALL -- Eagle Caleb Ropp (23) charges past Knight Matias Martinez (8)

 The outcome of the Cambridge Christian Learning and International-Cooperative games appeared to lock in the pairings for the first round of the playoffs. Christian Learning will take on Cooperative, the first-place team; Cambridge will tangle with International, who it will also play to close out the season next week. (Those two reams tied 2-2 in their previous meeting.) 

 Cambridge goalie Jose Luis Ribera, returning to that position Thursday  for the first time since his heroic exploits in the nets in last year's playoffs, certainly helped the Knights' cause, as he saved a couple of tough shots to preserve the shutout victory. 

  The game was pretty even throughout, with each side holding the momentum for a while and then yielding it back to the other side.  Cambridge scored the only goal relatively early in the contest on a nicely calibrated free kick by Federico Rocca from just outside the goal area on the right side. It hooked down over Eagle keeper Wesley Ordoñez and went into the far corner. 

  No one at the time figured it to be the only goal of the contest, but Ribera made it hold up.  The highlight reel included one shot by Caleb Ropp that found itself lodged about 6 meters up a tree behind the south end goal; a Cambridge cross that eluded all 4 players that tried to get a head or foot on it (two from each side).

 Ribera snagged the apparent equalizer when a cross by Luis Doi was headed into the goal by Trevor Reed about mid-way through the second half. (The rebound from that save also looked like a sure goal, but was shanked by a charging Eagle and never got to the goal line, so no harm done.) 

 The action at the close was end-to-end, and pretty intense, but Ribera managed to hold the Eagles scoreless, despite a flurry of late shots.  The Eagles head home with yet another tough loss even after a revamped lineup designed to produce more offense. 

(Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning provided this report.)

THE MIDDLE WAY -- Luis Doi (10) tries to find an opening between two Cambridge defenders. Katarina Holland, Christian Learning 

Boys JV Soccer

STOP THAT GRIFFIN! -- International forward Javier Garcia tries to thread his way through two Jaguar defenders. Jonastan Muñoz, International  

Griffin, Jaguar JVs in scoreless tie

The International and Cooperative junior varsity soccer teams fought to a 0-0 tie on International's field Thursday. 
The net effect of Thursday's outcome was to guarantee the Jaguars and Griffins an opportunity to play each other again in the first round of the playoffs. The Knights now have clinched first place, and will play Christian Learning in the first round.
__________


POETRY IN MOTION -- Griffin goalie Jose Luis Sciarrone's second save in postgame penalty shootout. Jonatan Muñoz, International

 International won the postgame penalty shootout for the extra point in the standings 3-2, but that outcome did not materially affect the playoff pairings. The outcome did confirm something that had become clear earlier in the season: International, which once seemed snake-bit by the prospect of a penalty shootout, has now more or less mastered the format. International teams have been in seven penalty shootouts this season, and has won them all.

Junior Knights wallop Eagles 7-1

 The Cambridge junior varsity boys soccer team took clear possession of first place with a decisive 7-1 win over Christian Learning in a game played on the Cooperative field Thursday.

 The victory clinches first place in the regular season League standings for Cambridge, setting up a first-round rematch between Cambridge and Christian Learning in the first round of the playoffs. International will play Cooperative again in the other pairing. 
 The dominant player for Cambridge due to relative his size and skill was Marco Antonio Ovando, who played a sort of rover position  all over the field in the JV game (and later played the entire varsity game as sweeper back). Knight Gabriel Alonso also played in both games.  
The little Knights' pattern of play consisted pretty much of  Ovando's picking up the ball at the defensive end and pushing it solo all the way down the left side of the field, followed by a centering pass that one of the other players rammed into the net.
  A virtual blizzard of shots on goal by Cambridge made the situation a kind of "whiteout" for the Eagles, both of whose goalies found balls streaking at them from close range and long distance. One of those goalies,  Jerome Malloy, even blocked  a shot with his face, but then had the rebound pounded home immediately afterwards as he clutched his face in agony.  
 The halftime score was 3-0, and the final score might have reached double figures for Cambridge if they hadn't taken several starters out of the game. 
  The Knights got two goals each from Juan Carlos Paniagua and Adrian Gamarra. Gabriel Alonso, Ovando and Daniel Kirigin got a goal each.

  Sami Frith tallied Christian Learning's goal, which represented the first goal the Junior Eagles have tallied this season.. 

Varsity Girls Volleyball

BYPASSING THE BLOCK -- Griffin Maria Victoria Gutierrez slams a spike past Jaguars' double block. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Griffins gain revenge, beat Jaguars

By Sung Eun Song

International School

 The International varsity girls volleyball team won a straight sets victory over Cooperative in their home gym Thursday by identical scores -- 25-20, 25-20. 
  The International win leaves the two teams where they have usually been over the past two seasons -- locked in a desperate battle for first place, both with 4-1 records. Co-operative won the first meeting between the two teams this year. Both coaches acknowledged that the caliber of play had ascended a level since that initial encounter.
 Both will presumably be trying to run up the score against their final opponents to beef up their sets won and points scored totals, which are used to break ties for playoff seeding. International plays Cambridge next week in its final game of the season, and Cooperative plays Christian Learning.

 Both teams started out well in the first set of Thursday's match, with neither team taking an advantage over the other. From the middle of the game, however, International began to take the lead with excellent serves and sharp spikes by Maria Victoria Gutierrez. Beatriz Nallar also contributed to International’s surge with her great gets on hard-hit balls.  The outstanding players for Cooperative were Aldana Roda and Ana Paula Peredo. 

 The crucial point in the set came with the Griffins ahead 23-20. There was a long rally with a lot of hard-hit balls and amazing defensive moves but both teams, but International took the point, making it 24-20, and that seemed to deflate the Jaguars. The end of the set then came quickly..

 In the second set, the International lead the game right from the start, getting out to a six-point lead at 8-2. However Cooperative improved the quality of its play as well, and started to catch up fast. Powerful spikes by  Roda  and Carla Limplas' blocks pulled the score almost even at 22-20.

 However, two great serves by Nallar and a smash by Gutierrez gave the Griffins the next three points, and  completed the Griffins victory.

Lady Knights dominate Eagles 2-0

 The Cambridge girls varsity volleyball team scored an impressive straight sets win over Christian Learning Thursday in a game played in the Cooperative gym. 

 The Knights took the first set 25-16, and then prevailed in the second 25-9.
The outcome settles with finality Cambridge's possession of third place in the League standings, and with that the marginally valuable opportunity to play the second-place team rather than the first-place team. Cambridge would presumably prefer to play Cooperative in the playoffs, a team they have twice won a set against, rather than International, which has shut them out twice. 

JV Girls Volleyball

Junior Jags beat Griffins 2-1

By Sung Eun Song 

International School 

The Cooperative girls junior varsity volleyball team narrowly defeated International in a three-set battle at the International gym Thursday. The set scores were 25-20, 20-25, and 15-7.

 Cooperative took control of the first set from its early stages. Dominique Germain made unblockable spikes using her height and Maria Paula Aguirre's passing and receiving skills were excellent. The Cooperative girls won the set 25-20.

 The second set was a much tougher battle. The lead went back and forth with neither team going ahead by more than 2 points. Pamela Suarez showed outstanding play in serving and spiking which contributed to International's eventual victory in the second set, 25-20.

 The momentum switched again in the third set, with Cooperative again dominating play. Germain was repeatedly set up by her teammates and no one on the International side could block her powerful spikes. In addition,  International girls made a number of  unforced errors and bad serves.

 The third set ended with Cooperative winning 15-7, giving the Cooperative girls victory in the match.

BIG RETURN -- Eagle Luana Velarde launches the ball back to Cambridge. Katarina  Holland, Christian Learning

Eaglettes victorious over Knights

The Christian Learning girls junior varsity defeated Cambridge in two hard-fought sets in a match played at Cooperative Thursday.

The Eagles squeezed out a 25-23 win in the opening set.and then took the second, which was almost as close, 25-21. 

Girls Varsity Soccer

SQUEEZE PLAY -- Griffin forward Matilde Gamarra can't quite get through the Jaguar defensive line. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Female Jags keep record perfect

 The Cooperative girls varsity soccer team continued its undefeated season with a 4-0 win over International on the Griffins field Tuesday.
 The game had promised to be a more climactic affair after International had come close to beating or tying the Jaguars in their first meeting of the year, which Cooperative had won 2-1 on a goal that was accidentally scored by a Griffin defender. However, the Griffins have lost a few key players to injuries since then, while the Jaguars appear to have, if anything, gotten stronger. The victory clinched first place for the Jaguars in the regular season.
 The score was quite respectable, however, until midway through the second half. The Jaguars took the lead early in the first half when left winger Fernanda Vaca Diez whacked home a shot. Cooperative got its second  goal late in the half on a Griffin defensive miscue that deflected the ball into the Griffins own goal,
 The score stood 2-0 in favor of Cooperative at halftime.
 International fought hard to get back into the game in the second half but its passing attack failed to click, and  forward Laura Maragaño, its chief scoring threat this season, could break loose. Both teams seemed to suffer from the strain of playing two games in two days, but the Griffins seemed more worn down than the Jaguars by the middle of the second half.
 With the suddenness of a summer storm Cooperative's fleet forwards accomplished a series of breakaways that put the game out of reach, and showed what kind of offensive firepower the Griffins had kept bottled up until then.
 First Vaca Diez struck for her second goal of the day in a on-on-one confrontation with Griffin goalies Stephanie Gioto in which Gioto didn't really have a chance. Within no more than two minutes, Maria Jose Rivero struick up the middle in similar fashion.
And it could have been worse. Tania Landivar, striking from the right side, banged a shot off the upright and then was robbed on a brilliant reflexive kick save by Giotto.

Eagles edge Lady Knights 1-0


By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
The Christian Learning varsity girls soccer team seemed to carry the momentum from their victory over International Monday into Tuesday's game against Cambridge, and won this second game by the same 1-0 score.
 The first half was was fairly uneventful, with almost no shots on goal by either team. However, the Eagles dominated the play and had a few chances to score on corner kicks, but Cambridge played error-free defense. The half ended 0-0.
 As the second half progressed, the Eagles got closer and closer to scoring a goal, until Abby Phillips finally got a clear shot at the opposing goal in the closing minutes. The Knights goalie tried to pick up the goal, but it slipped from her hands and 7th grader Emily Ordoñez was in the right place at the right time to tap in the carom. 
It was Ordoñez' third goal of the day -- the first two had come in the JV game -- giving her a kind of hat trick for the afternoon. 
 The Eagles were able to hold off the Knights for the rest of the game, which ended 1-0 in the Eagles' favor. Much of the credit for the shutout goes to seventh grader Luana Velarde, the Christian Learning goalie, who had also played the entire JV game.
She played by the JV and varsity games Monday as well, and recorded shutouts in three of the four gamess over the two-day period. (The Eagles usual varsity goalie, senior Sharon Gabler,  is in Australia attending her brother's wedding.) 

This story was corrected on April 8. It had originally credited Velarde with four shutouts. However, she was nicked for a goal in the International JV game, which ended in a tie.)
 The Cambridge defense had some close calls. A desperate charge by a Knight defender kicked wide an attempt by Abby Phillips that had seemed destined for the far side of the net. Jessica Smith almost tallied a few minutes later when her high, booming kick bounced over the Cambridge goalie's head, but it dinged off the crossbar on the Cooperative field's goal, which is lower than regulations stipulate.
 Cambridge came closest to scoring when Christian Learning sweeper back misplayed a ball sent into her zone, and an alert Cambridge forward nearly slipped the ball past Velarde. The forward and goalie collided and fell to the ground, but both were able to continue playing. Cambridge had lost its starting goalie in the first half after taking a ball in the face during a multi.player scramble in front of the Cambridge goal. 
 (Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning contributed to this report.)   

Girls JV Soccer

KEY BLOCK -- Griffin goalkeeper Maria Isabel Alexander blocks shot by Jaguar Maria Paula Aguirre during postgame shootout. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Tied up! Griffins, Jags match goals

The International and Cooperative junior varsity girls soccer teams finished their match Tuesday at International in yet another of those 1-1 ties that have become endemic in the junior varsity results for both boys and girls this year,
 Cooperative scored first on a goal by Paula Sakuma in the first half when she knocked the ball in off a corner kick.
 International's Sofia Sciaroni tied things up when she took charge of a kick by her own goalie on the first or second bounce and then fired the ball into the goal.
 International won the shootout for the bonus point in the standings 3-1.  

Eagle JV shuts out Knights 2-0

By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
 The Christian Learning junior varsity girls soccer team defeated the Cambridge Knights 2-0 in a tough game on the Cooperative field Tuesday.
 The Eagles controlled the ball for the majority of the game, and Emily Ordoñez scored twice to give the Eagles the victory. (More to come)

Boys Varsity Volleyball

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.

Boys JV Volleyball

SMASH RETURN -- Griffin Juan Carlos Narvaéz (4) hits a winner. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Jags edge Griffins in barn-burner

By Sung Eun Song
International School

The junior varsity boys volleyball match between International and Cooperative held on Tuesday at International school gym was awesome. Both Cooperative and International teams tried hard and truly enjoyed the game. It was too bad somebody had to lose, but somebody did. Cooperative won by a narrow margin two sets to one.

 At the beginning of the first set, Cooperative took a 7-0 lead showing amazing teamwork. The action  revolved around two 2 players -- Reinaldo Chavez and Luis Peredo. Chavez made several surprise attacks which were sharp and accurate, accounting for five points on his own.

Peredo  was an outstanding receiver, keeping every ball alive no matter whether the ball came in low or was hit close to the net. He played a central role in providing opportunities for his teammates deliver attacks.

 On its side International team kept making mistakes. They made service errors and some of them even missed the ball. It seemed like they had lost their concentration and confidence.

 However, from the middle of the first set, the International team seemed to regain its strength and stability. . Vitor Santos, German Ferraris, and Samir Nostas showed fantastic on court cooperation in their attacks  and nearly caught up the Cooperative team at 24:20. However, it was too late to turn the tables. Cooperative won the first set 25-20.

In the second set, International came out aggressively. Juan Carlos Narvaéz won eight points only with his sharp and powerful serves. The International team did not stop scoring until they were ahead 13-0. The Cooperative team struck back, but the difference was too big to cover. The International team stunned the Cooperative team with a 25-10 victory

The third set was the highlight of the match. Both teams were so enthusiastic and concentrated that the game looked like a pro league. The players fairly flew about the court, serving, passing, striking and even kicking the ball. The game finally ended in victory for Cooperative team by 15-12.

Junior Knights triumph in tight match

By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning
The Cambridge boys junior varsity volleyball team defeated the Christian Learning in one of the most exciting JV volleyball games so far this year.
 Most of the action came in the first set, in which the Eagles were up 20-18 before the Knights started a comeback. The Knights then scored 7 points while holding the Eagles to 3, and thus won the first set 25-23.
 The second set was not quite as close. The Knights won 25-14, sealing their victory.