The boys volleyball team took down the Burlingame Panthers in a decisive 3-0 sweep, 25-13, 25-12, and 25-11 on Wednesday evening.
M-A started the first set with high intensity, immediately putting the pressure on Burlingame’s defense. Senior defensive specialist Jaden Clark took the service line and delivered a series of clean serves that forced the Panthers into an early timeout with the Bears leading 3-0. Adding on, junior setter Coen Chou wasted no time finding momentum, setting up senior outside hitter Ben Warner* for a sharp hit on the line to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Bears’ offense continued to roll as senior opposite hitter Quinn Robbins hammered a ball past the blockers, and M-A blazed to a 7-0 advantage before Burlingame could find an answer. A brief miscommunication gave the Panthers their first point, but Warner quickly retaliated by smashing a hit into the ground to regain momentum, 8-2.
As the set progressed the offense spread the ball around. The Panthers managed a small run, but M-A was quick to respond, as Chou found Robbins for a kill past the block to make it 13-5. Building off this, senior outside hitter Owen Rutsky delivered a tactical tip to reach 14-7, leading to another Burlingame timeout.
Out of the break, Warner hammered a kill through a block to push the lead to 16-8. Sandoval continued to anchor the back row, while a series of blocks at the net by Cunningham and Warner forced the Panthers into faults, extending the lead to 19-9. Robbins and Rutsky kept the pressure on with crisp shots from the edges, and a final Burlingame service error concluded the set, 25-13.
The second set began as a tighter battle, with both teams trading points to an early 2-2 tie. Burlingame pulled out a narrow lead, but the Bears fought back, getting back on top with a spectacular defensive save by Sandoval, which allowed Robbins to jump into a hit for a score of 5-3.
“I always enjoy getting my teammates opportunities to score,” Chou said. “In this game I got to set more people rather than just setting the same person every time.”
M-A continued to build on this lead, as a critical save by Clark led to another smash into the corner for Warner, making it 11-7. Emerging from a Burlingame timeout, Sandoval put on an impressive performance from the service line, capitalizing on a miscommunication by the Panthers.
Chou set up Warner for another shocker of a hit to reach 13-7, where Warner remained a force at the net, nailing a hit into the side of the court to further extend the lead to 15-8.
A clean hit by Robbins on the line pushed the score to 19-9, and Warner followed with another deep hit against the back wall, forcing yet another Burlingame timeout. An aggressive block by Cunningham gave the Bears an even greater advantage, 21-9.
Sandoval anchored the back row with rock-solid passing, and Chou performed a clean setter dump. With a final kill from Rutsky, M-A was able to take the second set 25-12, leaving the Panthers searching for an answer.
“In the second set, we all came together, and we started to connect the dots, and our offense was rolling,” Cunningham said. “We played really strong today. It was a decisive victory.”
M-A carried all their momentum into the third set, looking to end the night on a high note. Clark once again took control from the service line, leading the Bears to an immediate 3-0 advantage after Warner got a kill at the net.
Out of another timeout by the Panthers, Chou’s serving pushed the lead to 8-2 before a ball caught the net. Robbins provided a spark of energy with a massive smash to make it 9-4, but a series of sloppy exchanges allowed the Panthers to crawl back, 9-7. Rutsky answered with a strategic hit, forcing a Burlingame error, and the Panthers called a timeout shortly after with M-A ahead 12-7.
Warner emerged from the break with a clean tip, but a mistake by the Bears helped Burlingame keep the score within reach at 14-10. Clark returned to the service line and immediately went on a legendary run, dismantling the Panthers’ communication while Warner and senior middle blocker Diego Ramirez Corona anchored the net with a combined block to push the score to 17-10.
The Bears did not let up as the set neared the end. After a long rally featuring spectacular digs by Sandoval, Chou stepped up for a rare smash of his own to reach 23-10. Robbins fired a hit into a gap in the Panthers’ defense to reach match point, and a final block by Chou and Cunningham ended the set 25-11, concluding a three-set victory for M-A.
“My favorite part of the game today was probably the energy,” Clark said. “Especially the last set, we just felt super energized, and it felt like we were really a team.”
The Bears will go up against the Aragon Dons in the Ayers Gym on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m.
*Ben Warner is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
