The boys volleyball team fought the Carlmont Scots through four sets, 25-20, 23-25, 20-25, and 20-25, resulting in a tough loss on Tuesday evening.
The match opened with the Bears in control, with senior defensive specialist Jaden Clark and sophomore libero Nicolas Sandoval delivering clean serves paired with early mistakes by Carlmont. Senior outside hitter Ben Warner* sparked the offense with a powerful kill to bring the lead to 7-3. Keeping the energy alive, junior middle blocker Ryan Cunningham successfully blocked a hitting attempt by the Scots, and senior outside hitter Owen Rutsky continued the momentum with a tactical tool to extend M-A’s advantage to 11-3.
After a Carlmont timeout, the Bears struggled to defend against the Scots, and the gap in score continued to close, forcing M-A to call a timeout of their own to reset while narrowly leading 13-10. The Bears emerged with new energy as Rutsky delivered another well-placed tool to steady the offense. Senior opposite hitter Quinn Robbins got an ace, gaining a point, but Carlmont was able to force defensive errors from the Bears.
A brief surge from Carlmont brought the game within three points, with the Bears still in the lead at 21-18. Following a missed serve by the Scots, Cunningham and Warner anchored the defense, with Warner ultimately securing the first set 25-20 with a massive solo block.
The second set proved to be a tighter battle. Warner started off the scoring with a strong kill, and from there, neither team could pull out a substantial lead. Cunningham anchored the defense with a block to put the Bears up 4-1, but the Scots quickly found their rhythm. Another tool from Rutsky brought them up to 7-4, but Carlmont capitalized on a string of M-A mistakes to take a 16-13 lead.
The Bears fought to close the gap as junior middle blocker Julian Haddaway delivered a crucial kill and followed it up with a block to bring the Bears within one, 19-18. Warner continued to pressure the Scots with a kill to make it 23-21, with M-A staying closely behind, and Robbins came up with a massive block to keep the Bears alive.
“I feel like my blocking was pretty good,” Robbins said.
However, Carlmont managed to find the floor with a final kill, taking the second set 25-23 to tie the match 1-1.
The third set tested M-A’s grit as they faced a quick 5-0 deficit. The Bears were unable to get through the Scots’ blocks, but with a tip from Cunningham, they were able to shrink their deficit to 8-5.
Despite well-timed blocks by Clark, M-A called a timeout down 11-6. The Bears returned with a newfound determination, trading points with the Scots until junior setter Coen Chou performed a setter dump expected by no one in an attempt to tighten the gap, putting the score at 17-11.
Following this, Clark put pressure on the Scots from the service line, succeeding in tripping them up and gaining another point, leaving the Bears down 17-12. However, the Scots responded quickly, finding a gap in the Bears’ block during a long rally to extend their lead to 19-12 and forcing M-A to call another timeout.
Warner sparked a late attempt with a striking kill, following that up by smashing a hit from halfway down the court that dropped straight through the defenders’ hands to narrow the deficit to 21-17. A defensive stand from Haddaway and junior outside hitter Vincent La Cava saved a set point just down 24-20. Unfortunately, after a final long rally, the Scots managed to smash a hit through the defense to take the set 25-20.
The fourth set was a desperate attempt from the Bears to force a tie-breaker. Carlmont opened with an aggressive serve, but Warner answered immediately with a kill through the hands of the Scots’ blockers to keep things even at 1-1. M-A struggled to maintain consistency as Carlmont pushed to a 12-6 lead, forcing the Bears to call a timeout.
The Bears returned ready to fight. Chou executed an immaculate backward setter dump, followed by a solo block by Haddaway. The gym exploded with noise as the Bears came back from their deficit and tied the game 15-15 after miscommunication by the Scots. Cunningham then provided a fake-out play to keep the game tied at 16-16, but Carlmont was able to go on a four-point run, capitalizing on sloppy blocks.
After a final time-out from the Bears, Warner was able to connect a kill through an unprepared Scots defense, and Rutsky and Haddaway led the defense to keep a few crucial saves from touching the ground.
“My favorite moment of the game was when I got two consecutive blocks on the other team,” Haddaway said.
Ultimately, a Scots kill slipped between Haddaway and the net, ending the set 25-20 and the match 3-1, a loss for M-A.
The Bears will go up against the Hillsdale Knights at home on Tuesday, April 14 at 5:45 p.m.
*Ben Warner is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
