The Tigers persisted against the Spartans’ powerful hits and defense to win the match 3–2.
Story by Julia Gildersleeve
Staff Writer
Photo by Helena Easterby
Photography Editor
Boys’ volleyball played the La Cañada Spartans on Monday, March 16. The game was tense, as the teams seemed to be evenly matched. Down 2–0 in the match, the Tigers had been one set away from losing, but because of their relentless determination, they won the final three sets.
The Tigers started off the first set with a 4–2 lead. However, with several powerful hits, the Spartans quickly caught up, making the score 8–8. The Tigers continued to fight, but both teams were tied the majority of the set, 12–12, then 15–15.
South Pasadena began to lose steam toward the end of the set, allowing La Cañada’s tips and hits to slip around their defense. The Spartans used the Tigers’ mistakes to gain a lead, 19–17. Despite several attacks and monster blocks from the Tigers, the Spartans kept the lead until the very last few points of the set when the Tigers caught up, 24–24. With yet another few powerful hits from the Spartans, they claimed the first set, 26–24, making the match score 1–0.
For the second set, the Tigers returned to the court with determination etched onto their faces. The set began with the Tigers trailing 7–5, due to strong deep corner hits from the Spartans’ pins. However, with a kill from senior opposite hitter Kyle Kirchen, South Pasadena managed to bring the score up to 7–6, with La Cañada still in the lead. With the Spartans’ perfectly calculated hits, and consistent serves, it became tricky for the Tigers to catch up.
The Tigers huddled up in the center of the court after a play, and it became evident how their mindset had changed. They upped their defense game by saving balls in the net and protecting blockers. Senior outside hitter Tendo Williams aced the Spartans with a float serve, allowing the Tigers to come back, 13–14. After several intense rallies with players diving across the court for balls, the score tied at 17–17 then at 19–19.
The Tigers led the set 22–21, until La Cañada’s serving and offense knocked them out of the lead. The set concluded with the Spartans claiming the win with the set score 25-22, and the match score 2-0.
“I was a little frustrated at first at the start of the match. We were down 2–0, but I never gave up on the boys. You can’t do that as a coach, you have to always believe that they can turn it around, and that’s exactly what they did. I thought it was a very exciting match and very entertaining for fans, the players, and for everyone,” head coach Carlos Rivera said.
The teams quickly tied in the beginning of the third set, 5–5. Williams slipped another tip down the Spartans’ block, and with another block from the Tigers, the score increased to 9–5. La Cañada’s overall serving and serve receive was increasingly becoming worse with South Pasadena’s more aggressive serving and defense. The score was 13–10 after an ace by sophomore outside hitter Evan Chang.
The Tigers let their lead slip slightly with Spartan hits, but they managed to remain ahead with the score 19–16. Several front row kills from the Tigers increased the score to 23–18, then to 24–18. The members of the crowd leaned forward in their seats, anticipating the next point. The Tigers won the third set with a powerful hit down the line, with the score of 25–19. The overall match score was 2–1 with the Spartans leading.
The beginning of the fourth set was intense like the others, but the Tigers quickly edged ahead with a 5–0 lead. La Cañada struggled to get a point, since the referees called several technical points on them. The Tigers continued to lead, making the score 8–1 after carefully planted tips and corner swings.
The Tigers kept up their incredible defense, and by following several balls to the line, they increased the score to 14–4, staying in the lead. The Tigers’ quick, smooth plays allowed them to attack the Spartans while they were dispersed around the court. South Pasadena was leading 19–9 due to their exceptional defense and ability to read the Spartans’ hits and serves. The set concluded with a win for South Pasadena with a score of 25–14 after a strong block by senior opposite hitter Joey Carney.
Both teams were neck and neck in the beginning of the fifth set, tied at 2–2, then 3–3. A dump from Kirchen increased the score to 5–4, with the Tigers in the lead. A triple monster block from the Tigers sparked a loud uproar from the crowd, and made the score 9–4 with the Tigers still leading. A timeout from La Cañada allowed both teams to pause and regain their energy. Several cross court hits from the Tigers crumbled the Spartans’ defense, and allowed the Tigers to increase the score to 10–6. Another kill from Kirchen powered straight through the Spartans’ blocks, claiming a win for the Tigers with a score of 15–11. The match score was 3–2; the Tigers had won.
“I think they worked together great, the way they were able to bounce back from being down 2–0, honestly I can’t be more proud of them for it. Momentum was definitely on La Cañada’s side, but despite being down 2–0, they did a great job fighting back,” Lopez said.
The Tigers’ next game is on Tuesday, March 17 against the Monrovia Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. in the SPHS gym.