Day 1 Match #4
Southern Exposure Stuns and Sweeps Stunners
Stunners had to make a last minute lineup change because their starting Libero, Jake Hurwitz, had to work. The Stunners assigned OH Matt Hilling to play Libero and inserted rookie OH Antonio Aguizola to play OH. Despite their best efforts the new lineup didn’t fare well for the Stunners in the first two sets. In the third set Hilling and Aguizola changed positions. But like the first two sets the Stunners never got into a good offensive rhythm, which resulted in many hitting errors and gave Southern Exposure free points.
Stunners made several valiant efforts in each set to launch a rally but each time late in the sets they fell short due to hitting errors. OPP Jair Sanchez Santiago had a leading 16 kills, Joey Jarvis 8 kills and middle blockers Nick Amado and Kevin Gear each had 2 kills. Hilling had two kills but they came in the third set. Overall the Stunners hit a dismal 36%.
Southern Exposure was led by a well balanced offense. Setter Derek Sullivan utilized all his attackers. OH Kevin Rocklein led the team with 8 kills and OH Jakeb Ciesla, and MB Payne Langston each had 5 kills. And Sullivan also had 5 kills. Southern Exposures’ blocks, which occurred at crucial points late in the sets also helped in their win. Southern Exposure had a total of nine blocks, Ciesla with 4, Rocklein 3, Girshfeld and Langston 1. Although Southern Exposure’s hitting percentage was less than the Stunners at 36%, they scored points and sided out at pivotal moments in the match that hampered the Stunners ability to make a comeback. And the Stunners didn’t help their cause with a multitude of hitting and service errors. All three sets won by Southern Exposure ended on Stunners’ hitting errors. The final scores were 25-23, 25-20 and 25-22.
Day 2, Match #1
Ramblers Manage Win Against Southern Exposure With Line Up Change and Deep Bench
After the Ramblers near flawless play on Friday, they made some major changes to their starting line up against Southern Exposure. Steve Duhoux replaced Michael Keegan at setter, Max Osmundson for Ryan Schickling, Kyle Radecki for Ryan Mather and Mark Lane for Josh Duarte. Southern Exposure made no changes.
Both teams sided out well to start the match. Most of Southern Exposures’ points came from Tyler Neil-Hubbard, who also had a block. Ramblers’ Kyle Radecki supplied the points for Ramblers, who took the early lead at 8-7. At 11-11 Southern Exposure started a mini-run that began with back-to-back kills by Jakub Ciesla took a three point lead at 19-16. But the Ramblers’ depth on the bench played a big part in launching a comeback. Ramblers substituted Mather for Radecki and Keegan for Duhoux. Ramblers took back the lead from a combination of Southern Exposure hitting errors and kills by Mathers and Brandon Rattray to 21-20. Ramblers closed the set with a Rattray kill, MB Mark Lane and Keegan block pulled for the win at 26-24.
In set two Southern Exposure took an early four point lead from Ramblers’ hitting errors and a kill and two blocks by Langston Payne to 10-6. Despite Rattery’s three consecutive kills Southern Exposure kept their lead with kills by Ciesla, Tyler Neil-Hubbard and block by Tim Lourich. Southern Exposure hung on to their lead with strong play by Lourich who had a block and kill, kill by Payne and block by Hubbard to close the set at 25-19.
Ramblers kept Mather and Keegan in the lineup for the third set, which paid off for them because they took an early four point lead with kills by Mather, Rattray, Lane and ace by Keegan. A run of errors kept Southern Exposure from launching a comeback and Ramblers increased their lead with a run of kills by Rattray, Lane, Mather and Max Osmundson to 20-11. Southern Exposure attempted a rally with a short run from kills by Payne, Hubbard ace and Lourich block and Lev Girshfeld kill to 22-17 but Ramblers sided-out well and closed the set with a Mather kill to 25-17.
In set four Southern Exposure started off strong with a kill and ace by Lourich. Ramblers countered with kills by Antwain Agulliard, Rattray, Mather and block by Lane. Ramblers errors helped Southern Exposure take an early lead at 8-7. While Payne and Ciesla provided kills for Southern Exposure, Mather contributed 6 kills and Rattray 2 kills to take a 17-14 lead. A small run of Southern Exposure errors combined with Rattray, Mather and Aguillard kills increased the Ramblers’ lead to 24-17. A transition attack by Rattray won the match for the Ramblers at 25-17.
Rattray and Mather led all players with 20 kills and 14 kills respectively. Ramblers had a total of nine blocks from Mather (4) Rattray and Osmundson (2) and Radecki 1. Ramblers’ hit 46%.
Ciesla led Southern Exposure with 13 kills, Payne 8 and Girshfeld 7 and totaled 8 blocks from Hubbard (3), Girshfeld (2) and Lourich, Ciesla and Payne (1). Southern Exposure’s hit 37%.
Day 3, Match #5
Southern Exposure Overcomes Matadors’ Block Party in Five Sets
The last NVA match of the weekend ended like it started with a five setter. Matadors started Mario Meza at Libero. While Matadors started with good play, Southern Exposure struggled to pass the ball and also committed several hitting errors. Matadors also scored points on kills by Jesus Serrano and a Carlos Serrano service ace to lead 8-3. Although Southern Exposure finally cleaned up their play with dump kill by setter Derek Sullivan and kills by Tyler Neil-Hubbard and Jakub Ciesla, Matadors added another point to their lead on a kill by Jacob Vander Beek, two kills by C. Serrano and Martin Petris ace to 16-10. Southern Exposure chipped away at the lead with two kills and a block by Eddie Moushikhian and Tim Lourich block for a 16-14 score. But thanks to Southern Exposure’s hitting errors along with Matadors’ kills by J. Serrano, middle blocker Brett Massettti and Mauro Issac Matadors took the lead back and added to it to 23-19. A Southern Exposure hitting error and double trickle net service ace by Issac won the match for the Matadors 25-19.
In set two both teams started well. Southern Exposure’s offense scored on kills by Ciesla and Hubbard, back-to-back blocks by Lourich and service ace by Ciesla. Matadors scored on kills by Issac, Vander Beek and Sanchez, who also had a block, and took an 8-7 lead. Southern Exposure took the lead after a Matador hitting error and Sullivan dump to 9-7. Matadors committed several errors and only had one kill from Sanchez before the second media time out. This allowed Southern Exposure to add to their lead with kills from Langston Payne, Moushikhian and Lourich to 16-12. But Southern Exposure errors helped Matadors tie the set at 17-17. Both teams sided out well. Matadors with three consecutive kills by Issac, two by Vandeer Beek and another by Issac. Southern Exposure with kills by Hubbard and Ciesla and Sullivan block and tied the set at 24-24. Payne sided-out for Southern Exposure and then after a Matador down ball Payne scored another kill to win the set 26-24.
Set three was another barn burner that went into overtime. While Matadors struggled with errors and only two real kills by Petris, Southern Exposure played error free volleyball with Hubbard kills (two from Southern Exposure overpasses), two kills by Moushikhian and block by Ciesla for an 8-2 lead. After the first media timeout Vander Beek ace and kill and C. Serrano kill cut the lead to 11-8. But Southern Exposure took advantage of two Matadors’ errors and added to their lead with kills from Hubbard, Payne and Ciesla and a Payne block for a 16-10 lead. Matadors launched a comeback with kills from Vander Beek, Sanchez and C. Serrano and a service ace by C. Serrano to cut the lead to 19-16. Another short Matadors’ run with kills from Vandeer Beek and block by Petris tied the set at 23-23. Both teams sided-out well. Matadors scored on kills from Vander Beek, C. Serrano and Jorge Cabrera and Southern Exposure from Ciesla, Lourich and Hubbard. At 27-27 Matadors earned a point on a Southern Exposure error and then won the set on a C. Serrano block 29-27.
In set four both teams came out swinging hard. After a Vander Beek kill the Matadors established the middle with kills by Massetti and Petris and a Massetti block. Southern Exposure scored points from kills by Hubbard, Criesla, Payne, Lourich and a Sullivan back dump; and two blocks by Lourich that gave them an 8-7 lead. Southern Exposure added to their lead on a string of blocks, two by Payne and one by Lourich to 15-10. But before the second media timeout the Matadors short run that included kills and block by Vander Beek and kill and ace by Cabrera cut the lead to 16-15. The Matadors took over the lead after kills by C. Serrano and three consecutive kills from Cabrera and hitting error by Southern Exposure to 19-18. After Southern Exposure called a timeout, Payne sided-out and tied the set 19-19. Southern Exposure took back the lead after a Matadors’ hitting error to 20-19. At 21-21 Southern Exposure scored the next two points on kills by Ciesla and Moushikhian, Matadors called time out at 23-21. Southern Exposure won the set on a Matadors’ net violation and hitting error 25-21.
In the final set of this match and weekend Southern Exposure took an early lead at 3-1 on kills by Ciesla, Lourich and Payne.Although Matadors scored kills from Sanches and Vander Beek, Southern Exposure added to their lead after a Ciesla kill to 8-5. On the next play Massetti scored what would be the last point of the match for the Matadors on a tip kill. After Southern Exposure sided-out on a Hubbard kill, Matadors called a timeout. Southern Exposure scored points for a series of Matadors’ overpasses and hitting errors. Southern Exposure closes the set with blocks from Hubbard and Payne blocks, Payne and Sullivan kills. And the match ended on a Matadors’ hitting error that gave Southern Exposure a 15-6 win.
The Matadors’ were led by Vander Beek’s 14 kills, Sanchez with 9, Issac 8, C. Serrano 6 and Cabrera 5. Matadors had 12 blocks and hit 34%. For Southern Exposure Moushikhian had 14 kills, Hubbard and Ciesla each 13, Payne 9 and Lourich and Sullivan 8. Southern Exposure had 5 blocks and hit 45%.
Matadors finished the weekend with a record of 1-3 and Southern Exposure 2-1.