Team members huddle during what would turn out
to be a 3-0 clean sweep by visiting Parker.
(Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
La Jolla's boys volleyball team, ranked number 18 in the nation by MaxPreps, succumbed 3-0 to an aroused Francis Parker squad on the Vikings' home court Wed., April 5.
"We missed Chase (Blackwell) more than we thought we were going to," said Coach Dave Jones after the loss, only the fifth in 24 decisions for his team this season. Blackwell, a 6-7 middle hitter-blocker, sat out the game after undergoing a "medical procedure", according to his coach.
Parker, ranked 301st by the rating service, had the upper hand from the outset. Jones told his team before the match started, "Parker is pumped up. You need to bring your game," or words to that effect.
More importantly for the situation at hand, Parker held a 1-1 won-lost record in the Western League going in, while the hosts were a spotless 2-0--but with Blackwell in the lineup.
Still, the Vikings hold plenty of other thoroughbreds in their stable, including 6-6 junior Gabe Vargas, 6-7 sophomore Nathaniel Gates, and junior Oliver Parker, at 6-2, in the middle.
But in the first game, after pulling out to a 12-8 lead, La Jolla was tied at 15-all and fell 25-21.
The Lancers' David Barrett, a junior outside hitter, began to exert his influence as the match unfolded, pounding powerful spikes past the Vikings' block for resounding points.
In the second game, La Jolla struggled early, going down 8-6 as Parker took advantage of the shorter Daniel McColl on the outside, at 6-2 not one of the towering pines. Shortly, the Vikes edged ahead, 13-10, on a Gates spike that showed soaring authority at the center of the net.
But the Lancers prevailed, 25-23, and the third game followed in similar pattern.
The decisive moment of the match came with the score knotted, 23-23, in that second game. Setter Luke Lentin, in the middle, had endured a couple of faceoffs with his Parker counterpart at the net, only to lose the one-on-one battle.
Jones' troops showed some fighting spirit, coming back from being down three points at 23-20, led by a Gates spike, a Vargas smash by the lefty from the right side, and a two-hand push shot by the seemingly still-growing Nathaniel.
But then the visitors regained their footing and put away the last two points to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
The two teams are now tied in the Western League standings at 2-1, with front-runner Cathedral Catholic at 3-1.
La Jolla's boys volleyball team, ranked number 18 in the nation by MaxPreps, succumbed 3-0 to an aroused Francis Parker squad on the Vikings' home court Wed., April 5.
"We missed Chase (Blackwell) more than we thought we were going to," said Coach Dave Jones after the loss, only the fifth in 24 decisions for his team this season. Blackwell, a 6-7 middle hitter-blocker, sat out the game after undergoing a "medical procedure", according to his coach.
Parker, ranked 301st by the rating service, had the upper hand from the outset. Jones told his team before the match started, "Parker is pumped up. You need to bring your game," or words to that effect.
More importantly for the situation at hand, Parker held a 1-1 won-lost record in the Western League going in, while the hosts were a spotless 2-0--but with Blackwell in the lineup.
Still, the Vikings hold plenty of other thoroughbreds in their stable, including 6-6 junior Gabe Vargas, 6-7 sophomore Nathaniel Gates, and junior Oliver Parker, at 6-2, in the middle.
But in the first game, after pulling out to a 12-8 lead, La Jolla was tied at 15-all and fell 25-21.
The Lancers' David Barrett, a junior outside hitter, began to exert his influence as the match unfolded, pounding powerful spikes past the Vikings' block for resounding points.
In the second game, La Jolla struggled early, going down 8-6 as Parker took advantage of the shorter Daniel McColl on the outside, at 6-2 not one of the towering pines. Shortly, the Vikes edged ahead, 13-10, on a Gates spike that showed soaring authority at the center of the net.
But the Lancers prevailed, 25-23, and the third game followed in similar pattern.
The decisive moment of the match came with the score knotted, 23-23, in that second game. Setter Luke Lentin, in the middle, had endured a couple of faceoffs with his Parker counterpart at the net, only to lose the one-on-one battle.
Jones' troops showed some fighting spirit, coming back from being down three points at 23-20, led by a Gates spike, a Vargas smash by the lefty from the right side, and a two-hand push shot by the seemingly still-growing Nathaniel.
But then the visitors regained their footing and put away the last two points to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
The two teams are now tied in the Western League standings at 2-1, with front-runner Cathedral Catholic at 3-1.
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