Sean Mcdonald
Staff Writer
Mira Costa’s boys volleyball junior varsity team stepped up in Costa’s away match against Inglewood High School on Tuesday and swept the Sentinels in three games, 25-7, 25-6 and 25-12.
The game served as an opportunity for everyone on the team to get playing time and, despite the ease of the game, the Mustangs focused on keeping their competitive edge and fundamental skills by concentrating on getting every point possible, sophomore outside hitter Bobby Barkley said.
“We knew we could win today, but it was about being a true athlete, someone who is a good sport and respects the game, which is what we did,” Barkley said.
Barkley, sophomore outside hitter Chandler Coate and freshman outside hitter Thomas Kretschmer led Costa through the second game, making multiple digs and finding opportunities for key kills. The game was beneficial because it allowed the team to get better at making big plays in game-time situations.
“It was really fun because I, along with all of my other teammates, was playing well and was confident in every situation we were given,” Coate said.
JV’s win improved Costa’s record to 20-4 overall and 6-1 in Bay League. The junior varsity team played in place of varsity again on Thursday in a game against Morningside High School, but the results of the match were unavailable at the time of publication.
The varsity team lost to Loyola, 3-1, in the Santa Barbara Tournament April 23-24, dropping its national ranking from second to third on Maxpreps, a website with information about high school sports. Costa is now behind Huntington Beach High School and Loyola High School.
“Having the junior varsity team play for us gave them a chance to play some high level volleyball,” senior varsity libero Sam Jones said. “Even though Inglewood wasn’t the toughest of varsity competition, it still allowed the junior varsity players to get some good play time.”
Leave a Reply