After three sets, the Scots came through at the end of all of them, finishing the game 3-0. This puts the boys varsity volleyball team at a standing record of four wins and one loss.
The game started slowly, with Carlmont gaining an early lead with strong serves, most notably by Micheal Dell’Aquila. The rallies were still long and intense with saves that left the crowd shocked. Finally, the Scots took the first set with a score of 25-14.
“We’re primarily a sophomore lineup with the exception of one junior, but most of these kids play year-round in a club, and they do a great job learning and finding that joy in the sport. They have that passion which drives this team,” said Carlmont coach Dan Nelson.
The second set was far closer, ending in a tiebreaker with each team fighting to get two points ahead. Each point was followed by silence as the next team prepared to serve. The room was tense until the ball was served, and the spirit for both teams was audible throughout the room.
“The second set, we decided we wanted to get our senior and junior players a chance to play and give them some game experience; however, since many of our starters are club players and our seniors are not, they are a lot more inexperienced,” said star player Kevin Tomita.
After winning the second set, Carlmont lost their footing, and Sequoia picked up the pace. At one point, the Ravens held a seven-point lead.
“I would’ve liked to see our backup role players play a little more solid overall, but we’ll work on that in practice,” Nelson said.
Tomita had a more harsh opinion of the team’s performance, describing the game as embarrassing.
“We came into the game very confident due to our record, and we planned to get an early lead so we could run some special plays,” Tomita said.
Soon, each team member came back, with the front line strengthening their defense. Their spikes got more consistent, and they slowly made a comeback. After the longest rallies all match, and pauses filled with tension followed by a point, Carlmont took the win 25-22.
Overall the performance was as alluring as it was impressive, and it’s clear the passion on both sides carried this match’s interest. This match is evidence of a spectacular season to come.
