After starting the season on the road, the San Marino High boys’ volleyball team played their home opener in their second match against visiting Gabrielino.
After dropping a tight first game to the Eagles, the Titans found their footing and swept the visitors the rest of the way for a four-game nonleague win, 23-25, 25-12, 25-16, 25-20, on Feb. 28.
“It felt like we were a totally different team after the first game,” Titans junior Jared Wang said. “After the first set we just started passing better, talking. Our communication and our hitting, it was all so much better than the first set.”
It was the first win of the young season for San Marino (1-1 overall) and the first loss of the season for Gabrielino (4-1).
“I think this first win was really valuable,” Titan senior Ryan Wang said. “This first win gives us motivation to go on with the season. It was a really well-played game, I would say. To come back from the first set loss was really nice.”
The victory comes as the Titans nearly return to full strength after dropping their opener on the road last week while school was not in session, leaving them without several key contributors.
“This feels more like us,” Titan junior Luca Moggio said in comparison to the season opener. “That first set I felt like we were still playing with some nerves out there, but I feel like we really got it together in that next set.”
Key to the victory was the play of setter Jared Wang and Moggio at middle blocker.
“[San Marino] has a really good setter,” Gabrielino coach Cory Ishida said. “Even balls that normally would be a free ball back to us, they attacked because the setter is excellent. He can set from almost anywhere on the court and then their middle, he pretty much had us controlled at the net.”
Moggio paced his team with 11 kills, while Ryan Wang joined him in double digits with 10, along with three aces. Jared Wang racked up the assists, but also chipped in eight kills. Casey Chan, fresh off a strong season on the basketball court, and Jeffery Li each had six kills apiece.
“This was our first home game back,” Chan said. “I think we let up the first set, but after that, we played really well as a team.”
Matt Woo had five kills and an ace, while Hunter Piccinini had two kills; both he and Ryan Lee also notched an ace.
The Eagles were led by Aidan Wong with 12 kills.
After the Eagles narrowly won the first game, San Marino seized control of game two early, starting with an 8-1 run. This included the first three points, beginning with a push shot for a kill from the outside by Ryan Wang, followed by a kill from the middle by Moggio on an Eagle overpass and a mishit by Gabrielino.
The ensuing Titan serve was short, but the hosts kept it going, running off the next five points: a kill from the outside and an ace by Ryan Wang, a combo block by Moggio and Chan, a kill from the outside by Woo and a solo block at the net by Moggio.
The lead in game two peaked three times at 13 points, including the final margin. Game point was set up by a kill in the middle by Li, and Woo finished it directly after with a kill from the outside that went off the Eagle block.
In game three Gabrielino scored first, but consecutive kills on the inside by Moggio to follow put the Titans up for good. The advantage peaked at 15 after consecutive kills by Li in the middle and one by Ryan Wang on the outside made it 20-5. Jared Wang assisted Moggio to set up the first game point at 24-11. The Eagles hung on, fighting off four game points before Jared Wang faked a set and instead sent the ball over the net, where it found the floor to seal the win in the third game.
San Marino never trailed in game four, although the game was tied four times in the early stages and the Titans never led by more than five throughout. The Eagles were within one point at 16-15, but San Marino answered with back-to-back kills by Li. Game and match point was set up by a kill by Jared Wang and, following a service error by the Titans, the victory was sealed on a kill from the outside by Ryan Wang.
“All credit to San Marino. They played really well,” Ishida said. “We didn’t handle them as well as we should have.”
Up next for the Titans is tournament play.
“We have a big tournament this weekend in Malibu, so we are looking forward to that [and] getting more wins,” Moggio said.
First published in the March 7 issue of the San Marino Tribune
