By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

IT would be another close match for the Simon Sanchez Sharks on Tuesday as they traveled into the Knights home court and would take the game in three sets winning 25-13, 19-25, and 15-11. Both teams would come out strong trading kills amongst each other keeping the score relatively close with the Sharks having the slight advantage with the score 10-6.
After a timeout there would be questions on each team’s rotation. After sorting out the issues with the rotations the Sharks would jump out to a 15-8 lead. The Sharks would keep their lead and would take the first set relatively easy at 25-13.
The second set would be different however, as the Sharks rested their starters leaving in only Dioor Jones. The second set would begin with the Knights jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Sharks would then tie the game when they scored four straight to knot the score at four a piece.
The Knights would then score three straight points to go up 7-4. The Sharks would answer right back scoring three straight of their own, once again tying the game at seven. The Knights would then respond once again going up three 12-9.
The two teams would then begin to trade points with the Knights gradually gaining a larger lead. With the score 19-13 the Sharks would begin to bring back in their starters, beginning with Captain Michael Pacheco.
It was little too late for the Sharks however as the Knights would continue to keep their lead and would eventually take the second set 25-19.
The momentum from the second set would carry over into the final set for the Knights as they quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead. However the Sharks would respond behind Jeremiah Taisacan as they tied the game at four a piece forcing a Knights timeout.
Taisacan would have the serve coming out of the timeout and would deliver two straight points giving the Sharks a 6-4. The Knights would respond scoring three straight points to once again give them the lead. The Sharks would then score two straight giving them the 8-7 lead as the teams switched sides.
Dioor Jones would have the ball for the serve after the switch. When the Sharks scored two quick points pushing their lead to three the Knights would call another timeout to talk things over.
The Knights would make a final push and come within one at 10-9, but the Sharks would just be too dominate in the final points as they won 15-11 with Jeremiah Taisacan getting the final kill of the game.
After the game Sharks’ Captain Michael Pacheco would comment about the upcoming playoffs. “The playoffs are anybody’s game, we’re still developing as a team, and we’re constantly working on our errors. We’ve been doing mental exercises to work on not making mental mistakes as we prepare for Notre Dame. Sometimes we don’t even have physical practices; we just have a mental practice.”
The Sharks are gearing up to meet the only team that has beaten them this year in Notre Dame. They will rely on the play from Captain Michael Pacheco, Dioor Jones and Jeremiah Taisacan. Pacheco would say about his teammates, “Dioor and Jeremiah are very talented players, but we can’t rely on them all the time. If they have a bad game out bench has to pick them up, that’s something we’ve been able to do fairly well this season. If we want to win in the playoffs we need hard work and team work.”
The Sharks next game will be on Tuesday as the playoffs begin they will await their opponent. The IIAAG Boy’s Volleyball playoffs begin this Friday and will run through next week.