By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

The Simon Sanchez Sharks got their playoffs underway Tuesday as they squared off against the Southern High Dolphins. The Sharks would come out a little flat in the first set allowing the Dolphins to gain momentum.
The Dolphins would pull ahead 15-8 forcing a Sharks timeout. Out of the timeout the Sharks’ Kristian Dizon would set up a beautiful kill for Jeremiah Taisacan. This would be the turning point for the Sharks as they began to play with much more intensity.
The kill would give Michael Pacheco the serve and would serve three straight points to pull within three at 15-12 forcing the Dolphins to call a timeout.
Out of the timeout Jeremiah Taisacan and Dioor Jones would get back to back kills to tie the game at fifteen a piece.
The teams would then begin to trade points and the Dolphins would once again begin to pull ahead, but the Sharks would quickly tie the game at 21 to force another Dolphins timeout.
The teams would then trade points again with the Sharks taking the 24-23 lead.
The Dolphins would tie it up at 24. The Sharks would go up one again, but Dioor Jones’ kill would go long tying the game at 25 a piece. The Sharks would then take the first set 27-25. The second set would be all Sharks as they quickly jumped out to a 7-1 lead forcing a Dolphins timeout.
The Sharks would continue the onslaught coming out of the timeout pushing their lead to 11-2 forcing the Dolphins to call another timeout.
The Dolphins would mount a 9-1 run coming out of the timeout to put them within two. The Sharks would then push their lead again to 18-12 and would finish out the second set winning 25-18. Jeremiah Taisacan would comment about how his team played in the first set after the game.
“In the first set we were off, we weren’t really warmed up yet.” Taisacan would also comment about their upcoming game on Thursday.
“We still need to work on our communication on the floor. We have to call for the ball so we don’t get mixed up.”
In the other playoff games the George Washington Geckos won in straight sets over the John F. Kennedy Islanders 25-13, 25-18. With the win the Geckos will now advance to play the Simon Sanchez Sharks on Thursday.
St. John’s Knights knocked off the defending champions as they defeated Father Duenas in three sets winning: 22-25, 26-24, 15-9. The Knights will now advance on to face the Notre Dame Royals as they defeated the St. Paul Christian Warriors in two sets.