March 1, 2023
JV dominated, sweeping the two sets. (When I last saw them (their first match vs Clairemont), they were tentative and unsure. Athleticsm peeked out a bit, but rawness won the day). Wednesday they looked like they had been playing games for months. A "tough outcome" at the La Jolla Tourney over the weekend proved to be extremely productive - as expected.
The buzz going into the Varsity Match (won last year by Madison) was that Madison had lost twenty or thirty seniors to the Olympics or something, and that UC stood a very good chance of earning some revenge, which, as we know, is best served cold.
The hail and snow outside on the cars hinted that some revenge was ready for serving.
As were Justin and Dash, serving us to an 8-2 lead in a (rare) fast start. UC kept the pressure on and built a substantial lead before deciding to provide a little drama for the visiting parents (and girlfriends).
One of the traits of an inexperienced young team is they will find a way to lose. Scoring runs go back and forth, but the inexperienced teams seek out the special critical moment to make an error. Players will take turns making it. That is often the difference in a game or match.
Clairemont was an example of nerves and inexperience. (A rival coach was watching the videos (they play Clairemont tomorrow) and volunteered "If you guys could have made your serves, you would have beat Claire mint easy" [[ sic: it was a text ]]. I told him about our repealed-but-apparently-still-honored "Second serve into the net" rule).
I bring this up because today UC was clutch when it counted.
Another trait of a team that is gelling is that when one player is off a bit, other players step up. Or when one player is off in one phase of his game he makes up for it in another.
Dash, for example, does not make hitting errors. He just doesn't. The defense will block and deflect his hits (once they start double blocking him), sometimes the defense will dig his hits, but he does not hit into the net, he does not hit out. Dash started out on fire, as usual. After an absolute crush from the back row, I was thinking "This is his best night ever!". His next back row attack sailed long. As did his next two. He later said "That was my worst night ever." He was off in that one phase, but consistent everywhere else (especially serving), so, yeah, as "bad" nights go, a pretty good one.
Nonetheless, there was a void to be filled.
Shahab stepped up. And slammed down. Every time he had an opportunity, every clutch moment, he delivered. 100% of the time. Madison would get close, they'd start to get moment, and Shahab crushed them. Every opportunity, all night. The most consistent I've ever seen him; the best I've seen him. When we needed him. And of course he feeds that energy right into the team.
Zion admitted that he had an "off" night as well. Setting. Only setting. His blocking was perhaps the most clutch I've seen from him (and over the past two years one could argue he's our best blocker). High jumps, deep penetration: block! Over and over. Late in a tight back-and-forth set two we were down 20-21, I was first bleacher at the net, not photographing, just watching. A long high set to their best hitter, I'm watching the ball coming down. Zion's hands roofing over the ball; straight down. This is not arms straight up at the net with the hitter hitting into the arms. This was a roof. The hitter had. no. chance. He did this in back to back points. They weren't particularly tight sets either. These were GREAT BLOCKS. Clap Clap "He's our set ter!"
Another Madison comeback shut down; instead of 1-1, we have a 2-0 lead.
The defense looked by far the best we've seen this season. Good positioning and the athleticism we've seen before. Getting back into form. (No, it's not fair to expect a brilliant dig like this every time, but that was the bar the raised by doing it so often last year).
Multiple times I saw their hitter avoid the double block and hit hard - to Petar lined up right there delivering a perfect pass.
Trinton and Jeremy growing into their hitting roles.
Set 1 finished with a strong run by Madison shut down by clutch plays. Set 2 started out with Madison up 8-2. "Uh-oh, the wheels fell off." Nope. The team remained calm eventually tying it up in the mid teens and then making big plays to take the 2-0 set lead. Things still seemed like they could go either way.
After two really tight, exciting sets, UC quietly controlled Set 3 to take the match. At this point, it felt anti-climactic to the parents: UC was the better team. Like, obviously, right?
It's a long season, we'll have some "downs", but the team has talent and is coming together. They've proved that in crunch time that they can play. They can find a way to win.
Oh, let's enjoy our time with Lincoln; just in case he opts of school early and goes straight to the pros.
Great job, gents.
Go Cents!
-jeff
videos to follow.
Sets 1 and 2
Set 3
(also, we're going to try to have write-ups after each game so that we have something to promote for the weekly announcements. I prefer to have someone else write these, another parent or a student (I miss too much of the game and leave out too many contributors). If you're interested, let me know. Or just do writeup and email it to me.)