On March 10, the boys volleyball team (5-4) lost to the Lake Nona Lions (5-1) in five sets. After alternating wins with the Lions for four sets, the boys fell short in the decisive, 15 point fifth set.
The first set began with a kill from senior libero Nicholas Duffy from the back row. Then Douglas Page, the only freshman on the team, solo blocked to tie the score, 5-5. Later in the set, senior hitters Jason Hock and Blake Garrison used the Lions’ block to their advantage and scored points to put them ahead by one, 22-21. However, the lead did not hold and they dropped the first set 23-25.
In the second set, junior Daniel Hermida aced the Lions’ serve receive twice in a row giving the team momentum, 12-6. After pressure from Lake Nona’s offense, the lead shrunk, but a timeout refocused the boys. They won the second set, 25-19.
The momentum from the second set did not carry over into the third and the boys struggled to go on serving runs. Hermida tipped the ball over the Lions’ block and found the floor, 4-13. The boys could not comeback in the third set and lost, 10-25.
The boys shook off the third set and found their rhythm in the fourth. Neither team gained a substantial lead, but defensive plays from Duffy and strategic plays from Garrison pushed the boys ahead 22-21 in the fourth. On the final play of the set, junior setter Karl Schaefer assisted Garrison in a kill to win 25-23.
The fifth and final set began with a tip from Schaefer for a kill. The boys could not gain momentum back and fell behind early in the set. After two timeouts, they lost 5-15.
The boys take on Berkeley Prep, March 15, at 6 p.m. in the Wayne Rickman Gymnasium.