Escondido — On Thursday, March 5, Varsity Boys Volleyball faced off against Kearny High School at EVCC for one of their first scrimmages of the season. Neck-and-neck with their opponents, the boys played an intense game where onlookers found themselves ducking every few minutes to avoid flyaway volleyballs. Here is a breakdown of the game’s most unforgettable moments:

Period 1

• For several plays, the scoreboard flips between a tie score and one side being a single point ahead
• The ball nearly touches the floor, but David Breda gets there first. Save!
• Chandler Prazak executes a powerful spike, sending the ball flying over the net too fast for the Kearny Komets to catch
• Period ends with a score of 19:25, (CAHS:Kearny)

Period 2

• Noah Champlin carries out a series of excellent serves; the team takes the lead by four points
• The ball flies over the net again and again; the Caimans soar ahead, 14 to 8
• Chandler Prazak serves the ball just within the other team’s bounds, scoring a point
• Period ends, 25:20

Period 3

• Bryce Kirklen starts off the period with a good serve
• The Caimans are ahead by four points; that number nearly drops to three, but Adam Soberon intercepts and sends the ball flying back towards the Komets. Point!
• Noah Champlin dives for the ball, sliding beneath it just in time to punch it back over
• Period ends, a close game of 22:25

Period 4

• The ball is airborne for several seconds before Adam Soberon spikes it
• The game is tied, 11:11 — in a show of excellent teamwork, Bryce Kirklen dives to the ground to punch the ball up, and David Breda seizes the opportunity to spike it. Tie broken!
• The period ends, 22:25, Kearny High School

The game was very close, and in spite of a Caiman loss, it demonstrated both the spirit and the strengths of CAHS’s second-ever varsity volleyball team. “We played really well today,” Adam Soberon, #9, said. “We just bonded as a team more and got better, overall.”

The game served both to prepare the boys for the tournament they competed in the following day, as well as the rest of the season. “I think it showed our strengths and a few of our weaknesses. Our passing was a lot better this year,” Coach Ferreira said. “They played really well today, I was really impressed … I think we’re going to be great this year.”