Chris Newcomb collected 21 kills Friday night and Tyson Rietz added 18, leading SBCC to a 3-1 men’s volleyball victory over Palomar at the Sports Pavilion. The scores were 30-26, 30-26, 17-30, 30-27.
“The main thing with volleyball is energy on the court,” said Rietz. “We had a lot more energy (than they did Wednesday in a loss to Orange Coast) and everyone felt more comfortable. We were able to play comfortably and the best that we wanted. That’s what made the difference.
“In Game 3, we got down and everyone got quiet. Once you lose that energy, you’re going to lose games. We’ve got to keep that energy as high as possible.”
Mark Hebda, a freshman middle blocker from Bishop Diego High, had seven kills and three blocks for the Vaqueros (3-2). Hebda ended the match with a kill in the middle on a quick set from Justin Conmy, who had 46 assists. Jim Wielebnicki recorded 20 digs.
“I was so pleased with our energy, our intensity and the team chemistry, which we talked a lot about this week,” said coach Melody Parker. “They were determined, no matter what, to come out and play hard and play a fast-paced game.
“You can do great things when you have great team chemistry and this team does. Tyson and Chris were great leaders tonight as captains. They kept our team up, even when it got a little scary.”
SBCC will play its next four matches on the road, starting Wednesday at Grossmont.
