SAN DIEGUITO, CA - Eager to capture their sixth consecutive win of the season, Sage Creek nailed host San Dieguito Academy 3-0 on Friday afternoon.
The Wildcats (13-2) battled San Dieguito (6-11) with a ferocious energy that excited the crowd throughout the entirety of the match. The final score was 25-15, 25-21, 25-18.
“The win was really good,” said David Hosseini. “I like how our team was able to push through some of those sets and some of the nasty stuff. We actually received some bad passes but we worked through that and we went on and won the sets.”
Early on, both Sage Creek and San Dieguito went back and forth struggling to pull ahead with a significant lead. By the time the scoreboard read 6-6, there had been a total of four ties already in the match. The sixth point was the turning point for the Wildcats, who then breezed past the Mustangs with a 19-9 run that ended the set 25-15.
Consistency in the Wildcat speed of play was evident throughout the second set with aggressive spikes repeatedly breaking down the Mustang defense.
“Defense has now become our programs main focus,” said San Dieguito head coach Ray Wilson. “We are very talented offensively... So defense is always going to be the key to making sure we improve every day.”
When the scoreline read 21-14, the Mustangs managed to pick up the pace and make a 7-2 run which cut the deficit 23-21. However, their comeback fell short when a kill by Sage Creek captain Christian Janke gave the Wildcats the last of the two points they needed to take the second set win.
“I think we did everything we planned on doing and everything we needed to do,” said Janke. “It was a good team effort and we played really well all around.”
The final set was reflective of the first two with the Wildcats maintaining control of the court. A score of 25-18 finished off the third set and captured the win for Sage Creek 3-0 overall.
Despite the loss, Wilson had positive takeaways from the game.
“I think we played really well,” he said. “We had some inspiring volleyball plays and have a lot to build on for the rest of the season. Sage Creek is a very good program and we are very much looking forward to our next game against them.”
The Wildcats will be back in action Wednesday against Mira Costa. The Mustangs will be on the road to face El Camino Wednesday.
