San Diego Mesa’s volleyball team was looking for the comeback, down 13-20 in set three, and down 0-2 in sets.
Their momentum was shut down as sophomore setter, Chris Griebenow set for freshman outside hitter, Cesar Medina, who slammed the ball in between the Mesa defenders.
The EC men’s team won the third set, 25-14, going on to sweep the visitors 3-0 in sets.
Coach Richard Blount said that the serving of the team was “lousy.”
When asked about the play overall Blount said, “I know we’re capable of a lot more.”
Sophomore outside hitter, Casey Wood, played his first game back after a foot injury against Irvine Valley. He tacked on nine kills to aid the team.
“I was stoked the team did a great job without me,” Wood said. “My foot feels good, and I’m working hard to get back to 100 percent.”
Blount knew how to get the best out of Wood in his first game back.
“Wood looked good,” Blount said. “I knew he could play, but it was better to leave him off, to get him angry and let him build up that energy. Then today, he blew up. It ended up working out for us.”
The first set was won a dominant fashion that set the tone for the offense of the night. The Warriors revved up their engine and had 14 kills and zero attacking errors in set one. That intensity helped them win the set, 25-14.
“Having Casey back is big,” freshman outside hitter Joshua Riblett said. “He’s the captain, he brings great leadership and keeps us playing at a high level.”
The second set was the closest of the three, which ended 25-18 in favor of the Warriors. There were less errors, although there were 12 service errors, the team played much more consistently.
“We have momentum,” Riblett said. “Being undefeated just means we have more of a reason to not slack off.”
Griebenow had 32 of the team’s 35 assists, while Sarmiento had seven kills on eight attempts. Sophomore middle blocker Peter Nordel, tacked on four kills while Medina had 10 and Riblett had nine.
The Warriors are now 6-0 against non-conference opponents. The Warriors begin their quest for the conference against LA Pierce College on Feb. 25.
