By Candice Tran
With each set, the volleyball soars above the net. Both teams fight to keep it off the ground. The Barons’ swift offensive attacks and Pacifica High School’s persistent defense keep the game intense and the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Ultimately, the Barons came out victorious, sweeping all three sets on Wednesday; however, throughout each set, the Mariners put up a powerful effort to keep each set close.
Through numerous rallies, tough defense and solid teamwork on offense, the Barons and Mariners closed the first set 25-21, with Fountain Valley up by just a small margin. Standout performances came from senior Christopher Pham and sophomore Kayden Tran, both with strong kills to help lead the Barons to victory.
The Barons came into the second set as ready as ever. Their clean and quick offensive plays made it difficult for the Mariners to defend. With an ace by Pham, the Barons led 8-2. Tran added to the offensive firepower with two kills.
As the game reached midway through the second set, both teams failed to make their serves, giving up points to the other team. To break the Barons out of their scoring drought, senior Ben Braithwaite slammed the ball down for a kill, putting the Barons up 17-15. The Barons tightened their defense and pulled away into the lead. With a kill, sophomore Peter Pham ended the set 25-19 in favor of the Barons.
In the third set, sophomore Trevin Le put the Barons on the board with a kill. Both Baron and Mariner serving faults characterized the beginning of this set. Pushing the score to 4-6, Tran helped the Barons with two additional kills. Following this example, senior Rhett Anderson also secured two kills to close the deficit between the Barons and Mariners.
The Mariners led the score in the third set until freshman Bobby Watkins helped the Barons gain their first lead of the set with the score being 9-8. Long rallies and failed serves on both sides proved prominent in the third set. The score went back and forth, and both teams exchanged the lead. With Christopher Pham’s tenth kill of the game and a kill from junior Andy Hernandez, the set tied at 23-23.
As the game entered its final minutes, a block from Anderson and Tran helped the Barons reach matchpoint, 25-24. One final kill from Tran ended the game with the Barons’ victory 3-0.
This win has boosted the Barons record to 13-1, adding to their impressive season. Boys’ volleyball plays their next match away against a strong Corona del Mar High School next Wednesday at 5:45 p.m.
