After falling short to Corona Del Mar in their last game, boys volleyball bounced back against Mater Dei, becoming the number five team in the country and state. The Sea Hawks’ early lead assisted them in taking care of the Monarchs, three sets to one.
Going into the match favored and having beaten Mater Dei a year prior in five sets eased the boys’ nerves leading up to the game. According to senior middle Vaughan Flaherty, the Sea Hawks had advantages at certain positions.
“I was pretty confident going in because they have a couple talented guys, but I think they also have a lot of weaknesses that we don’t have. I think we had an advantage down the middle of the court and with our setting, so a big focus for us going into the game was doing what we were supposed to. Last year we had the same mentality against Mater Dei and we ended up [winning in] five [sets],” Flaherty said.
The Hawks came out sturdy, winning the first two sets, 25-20, and 25-19, inspiring the boys to sweep the Monarchs. Pointing out their strengths early was ideal for Redondo according to senior setter Tommy Spalding.
“A lot of it was figuring out what they were doing. One of their guys really liked to tip. So, we were trying to figure out how to pick that up. We let up a couple runs but we played pretty consistently those first two sets, and that’s why we won both. [Even though] we gave points out here and there, as a whole we played pretty strong,” Spalding said.
Being ahead early in the match, the boys felt comfortable going into the third set, but also felt the pressure to win in three sets. Due to unfamiliarity with their lineup, the boys had some trouble, dropping the first points of the set.
“We always start every match the exact same way, and in that third set, we didn’t start that way. That was part of it, and then I think we were in our own heads about not wanting to give up that third set. So we ended up missing a lot of serves,” Spalding said.
To help his teammates focus on the next play, Spalding would cut off their overthinking by quickly getting them into their best headspace with his optimism. After focusing on the next point, Redondo didn’t let the score affect their mindset, going on a 15-6 run in the third set, displaying their consistency of play.
“[I] always try to be the first one to get to them,” Spalding said. “I think there’s too much technicality to volleyball. It’s not as much about being the best physically, but you really have to make sure that you let the mistakes go because you play so many points [in a match].”
The rest of the third set was back and forth, with the Monarchs and Sea Hawks exchanging blows. The set came down to a set point for Mater Dei, with Redondo trailing 23-24. The point did not disappoint, with each team attempting to end the rally over and over again. Eventually, the Sea Hawks prevailed, and the gym erupted with excitement.
“I think that was the longest rally I’ve ever played in my entire life. It was over a minute long, which is absurd. So not only the fact that if we would have dropped it, we would have lost the set, but I think everyone thought that if we won that rally, we’d win the set [and the match],” Spalding said.
Unfortunately, Redondo couldn’t get ahead and ended up giving up the third set, 24-26. As Flaherty mentioned earlier, Redondo had more strength down the middle of the court, and they used that to their advantage, especially to finish out the match.
“I really liked how we ran [our offense] in the middle, and I think that was definitely a strength of that game,” Flaherty said. “I think our weakest came in block defense and a little bit of serving [later in the match].”
Something that stood out in the fourth set, which inevitably gave Redondo an edge was Flaherty’s and Spalding’s chemistry on different height sets. The setter and middle duo showcased their ability to pull off super quick sets to catch Mater Dei off guard. After another tight battle in the fourth, Redondo closed out the win, 25-23
“We’ve been playing together since we were 14. In eighth and ninth grade we would set up a net in my driveway and we would go and try different sets,” Spalding said. “He would go find a set on YouTube and we’d go try that. We would play for hours, just setting those balls before practice.”
