Dos Pueblos edged host San Marcos on Tuesday night in an absolute dogfight of a boys volleyball showdown at the Thunderhut. Led by 17 kills from Gabe Burdick, the Chargers won in five sets, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 15-13.
San Marcos put on a clinic in ball control but was bitten by mistakes at the most crucial junctures, including a net violation that tied the game at 13-13 in the fifth set. That was followed by a hitting error before the match ended on a block by DP’s Jacob Badish and Mansai Conner.
“With rivals that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It was definitely a nail-biter,” said Chargers coach Chris Hughes. “(San Marcos) can flat-out play, and I thought they wanted it more than us for most of the match, I really did.”
DP, however, continually climbed out of deficits throughout the match. The Royals had a 7-2 lead to start the third frame as well as leads of 4-1 and 13-11 in the fifth, but the Chargers wouldn’t go away. Conner, who hadn’t played for two weeks because of a bad back, came in and made some high-flying kills in the middle while Jay Larinan had 13 kills and four blocks on the outside.
“This would have meant a lot… It just goes to show the level of competition in this league. All the teams are great,” said San Marcos senior outside hitter Jackson Kunz, who anchored the back row along with libero Kyle Estabrooks. Both players made spectacular digs throughout the match, while Spencer Johnson and Ben McKenzie stepped up big offensively. The Royals are missing injured senior Johnny Manzo as well as starter Zach Yinger.
The Chargers sent out some tough jump serves on the night but only recorded one ace, a testament to the Royals’ passing.
“To grind them out like this just builds character, and our guys aren’t afraid, especially at the end. As a coach, I’m telling them to just go for it,” said Hughes, who noted that his team has endured numerous 5-set matches this year.
The Royals (11-8, 1-3 Channel League) host Ventura on Thursday in a big match with playoff implications, while DP (12-8, 3-1 Channel League) plays at Ventura on Tuesday.
