While close matches have been uncommon for the Joel Barlow High boys varsity volleyball team this season, practices have been a different story.
Often the most competition the Falcons have faced has been among themselves. This has also prepared them for matches that go down to the wire.
Such was in store for them when they hosted Cheshire on Monday, April 29. The outcome was up for grabs until the last few points before the Falcons held on for the win in a 3-2 (22-25, 25-15, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13) nail-biter.
“That’s what practice is like for us,” said Barlow head coach Kevin Marino. “The games get really close and they battle each other in practice.”
A two-point affair for much the way, the first set featured several lead changes. Things were tied at 18-18 when a kill by Cheshire’s Will Allen put his team in the lead for good.
Strong play at the net by Barlow’s Alex Llach kept his team in the hunt, as it trailed by two (24-22) but a kill by the Rams’ Gordon Johns clinched the win for his team.
Bouncing back in the second set, the Falcons never trailed and built a 12-4 lead. While several key kills by Cheshire cut the lead a bit it then scratched on a number of its serves, giving the Falcons more breathing room (19-12).
“They’re a really tough serving team,” said Marino. “Sometimes there’s a big risk of rewards factor to that. “It paid off for them sometimes.”
A kill by Llach, followed by Mark Meschi’s ace and a kill by Erik Scmid, made it 24-13. Kills by Cheshire’s Matt Lilback and Jacob D’Addona only delayed the inevitable, as the Falcons tied the match at 1-1 in sets.
Although the third set was much closer, the Falcons seemed to stay a step or two ahead of the competition most of the way. Leading 19-18, they then reeled off five straight points on Llach’s serve before getting the win.
Things started well enough for the Falcons in the fourth set, as they led 9-4. Later, D’Addona served four straight points to tie it at 16-16. Four ties and five lead changes followed.
Kills by Allen and D’Addona helped put the Rams up 23-20 and soon the match was tied at 2-2 in sets.
Errors on the Rams’ part put it down 7-4 in the fifth set before it battled back to go up 10-8. They scratched on their next serve and a key block by James Pereira forced a 10-10 tie. Two Cheshire passing errors put the Falcons back on top and they never trailed again.
“Everyone came through and everyone had their best game,” said Llach, who led his team with 30 kills. “It was a crazy team win. We just dug deep and that was it.”
Llach also finished with five aces. Meschi had eight kills with two aces and Erik Schmid had nine kills. Grayson Vandenburg had 22 digs.
Barlow, now 16-0, hosted Brookfield on Thursday at 6 p.m.
