The boys volleyball team played its first game ever in program history against El Camino High School, Wednesday March 26. The Wildcats lost in four sets: 3-1 25-15, 18-25, 12-25 and 13-25.
The boys volleyball team came off strong with service pressure to get points off the opponent. However, they struggled to keep up the momentum throughout the game. Despite the loss, the Wildcats look to support one another following the first game for the program.
“This season we just want to set a foundation for this program,” senior middle blocker Lyle Nerrie said. “Today was a good foundation for the future.”
The El Camino Colts started off the game with a service ace, getting the first point, but shortly missing after. The Wildcats responded with two service aces right after, making it a 3-1 lead. Strong service from the Wildcats caused a larger lead to be created at 8-3.
Senior libero Oscar Toribio caused the opponent to be off the net, which forced a freeball over. Both teams relentlessly went back and forth until Woodside got a peculiar dig trickling off the net and into El Camino’s court, scoring the point.
The Wildcats got two overpass kills from junior Finn Creighton, due to the service pressure. Wildcats then held a large lead of 15-6. Nerrie also got an overpass kill thanks to sophomore setter Nathan Barty’s service pressure. The Wildcats win the first set with a clean transition of a pass, set and kill from Creighton 25-15.
In the second set the Wildcats were down 0-3, but a transition from Barty and kill by Creighton led to the Wildcats receiving he first point of the second set.
At 3-3, the Wildcats had great defense getting two digs within the continuous rally from the opponents hit and Creighton finished block and then out.
The first block point of the game for the Wildcats was from Barty, making it 3-5. Barty made another amazing play with a one hand set behind him for the kill.
It was a close game back and forth until 12-12, where the libero from El Camino went on a service run to make it 12-17. Creighton and Barty tried to bring the set game, with a setter dump followed by a kill from Creighton. Team wise, the team has relentless with defense trying to get the ball up time and time again. Despite the effort they lost the set 18-25.
The momentum has shifted from Wildcats to El Camino coming into the third and fourth sets. Despite effort by the team with kills and digs, the serve receive and service pressure from the other team caused a big lead for El Camino in the third and the fourth sets.
There was strong support for the first game of the newly created program of boys volleyball in the stands from parents, students and faculty, like our very own Principle Karen Van Putten. Boys volleyball plays Sequoia on Wednesday and the next home game is against Capuchino on April 18.
“Volleyball is super fun,” Nerrie said. “We lost but we had a lot of fun and I think we grew as a team and individually.”
