Boys’ Volleyball falls short of Cambridge R&L
Westford and Cambridge square off
April 9, 2016
WA Boys’ Volleyball lost 3-1 to Cambridge Rindge and Latin this Friday, taking the first game but falling further behind as the match progressed. The games were close, with marginal point differences between the two teams, but Cambridge ultimately pulled ahead by the fourth game.
The before-game atmosphere was rambunctious and cheerful, seeing as it was Cheeseburger Night. A blindfolded JV team member was handed cheeseburgers, which they threw into the air for laughing fans to catch. However, the cheeseburger-throwing came to an end as the bag emptied, and both teams got on the court to begin the first game.
The Grey Ghosts took the lead early on in the game, maintaining a two-point lead for the first few minutes of the game. The score evened out to 8-7 after the Ghosts lost a notably long rally that was kept up mainly by senior setter Jon Kruger.
After that, Westford fell into a two to three point drag as Cambridge pulled ahead. However, they quickly picked up momentum and within a few minutes had achieved a 17-15 lead. A block followed by a well-placed straight by senior captain Brandon Tierney helped the Ghosts pull up 24-20.
Cambridge then made a sharp comeback that placed the score at 24-23, and it looked like the game was going to go into a tiebreaker. However, it ended 25-23 when Cambridge served into the net, giving WA the lead after the one game.
The second game was also extremely close, with neither side letting the other gain more than a point or two. The score remained in WA’s favor by the middle of the game with a score of 13-12. That was the last of WA’s significant leads that game, however, and they quickly fell behind.
Things were looking up when an ace from Tierney tied the teams 19-19, but Cambridge hit the 20s first and proceeded to rack up a 24-23 lead. A missed jump serve on WA’s part led Cambridge to take the game as the Ghosts had before, with a score of 25-23.
The third game wasted no time in showing that WA had lost its grip on Cambridge, as they slipped behind into a 4-1 defecit within a few minutes. This drag persisted for much of the game, and at around the halfway mark senior Stephen Wang and junior Aaron Ewing were substituted into the game.
Wang was quick to display strong defensive skills in a lengthy rally, although a corner shot from Cambridge caused WA to ultimately lose the point. A series of strong hits on the part of senior Ismael Ralsten helped bring the Grey Ghosts within four points, as they trailed by a score of 22-18. Their momentum was soon broken by a timeout from Cambridge, and WA fell behind as Cambridge rose to take the third game 25-20.
For the first few minutes of the fourth game, WA seemed to be making a comeback, with two consecutive aces and a 5-3 lead. However, a space in the middle of the court allowed a shot from Cambridge that left WA behind 7-6. A few long rallies and strong shots from the Grey Ghosts kept them up with Cambridge, and once again an ace from Tierney tied the game.
The game remained nail-bitingly close as the points stacked up and both teams strove to take the game. WA reached game point with a narrow lead of 24-23, but the boys were not able to make the crucial point before Cambridge took two, finishing the match with a one-point win of 25-24.
Despite the fact that the match came out 3-1, most of the games were won by a few points in either direction, something that coach Russell Coward was quick to point out.
“I think that a couple points here and there in each game [is what did it],” he said. “As we improve throughout the season, we’ll start to win those points, and hopefully we can win the close matches […] I hope that this is just a start for our improvement.
