Carlmont varsity boys volleyball fell short against the Mills Vikings in a 5-set thriller, barely losing 3-2 in a back-and-forth home match on Friday night.
Following a preseason win against the Sequoia Ravens, the Scots started strong, dominating the first set with a 25-12 win. Key players included Scots sophomore Jonathan Edwards and junior Noah Meeks, helping set the tone early on in the game. Sophomore captain Tyler Louie also played a pivotal role, racking up multiple assists.
The second set saw the Vikings fight back, sneaking past Carlmont 25-21. The set remained close all throughout, highlighted by a decisive long play at 18-18 that briefly shifted the momentum to the Scots’ side. Despite their efforts, the Scots could not hold on, losing the set.
In the third set, the Scots nearly completed an impressive comeback after trailing behind 22-14, but ultimately lost 25-22. With the Scots bench fired up in the fourth set, Carlmont showed resilience and was able to regain their rhythm. Their mental game improved, and a 17-11 lead eventually grew to a 25-13 finish, with the final point coming from a net error by the Vikings.
With the game tied 2-2, the deciding fifth set was a battle. Carlmont trailed early on but fought their way back to a score of 9-8. Meeks scored two consecutive points, and a crucial block by the Scots defense gave them a 12-11 lead. However, the Vikings managed to close it out, winning 15-13 to take the match.
“I didn’t think it would be this challenging, but I’m glad it was because we’re a really young squad,” said Scot senior Ryan Tseng, who was a key player contributing to the mental game. “We lost 12 seniors last year to graduation, and I think we really needed to wake up.”
“I think we could have played better in the second and third sets. We got lazy, especially in the second, and we kind of spaced out in the third and fifth sets as well,” Tseng said, as he reflected on the team’s performance.
Scots head coach Daniel Nelson pointed to team errors as a major issue in the loss.
“We could not make a serve for multiple sets, so I think errors really ate us up. Hitting errors and service errors led to giving them momentum, and they used the momentum to beat us,” Nelson said.
Despite the loss, Nelson praised standout performances.
“Alexander Mahadew was really the best player of our game today. He had probably close to 20 serves for us, scored a lot of points on those serves, and he was probably one of the most effective hitters as well,” Nelson said.
Looking ahead, the Scots are focused on improving.
“You know, we didn’t do too well, but it’s going to help us play better in the future,” Louie said. “We’re trying to win PAL again and hopefully make CCS.”
With a young squad adjusting to the higher level, the Scots aim to build on their strengths and push for the season.
