The Cubs returned home right after their first loss of the season, coming at the hands of Redondo Union, in hopes of redeeming themselves with a victory against powerhouse Corona Del Mar. The Cubs’ record stands at 3-1 on the season compared to the Sea Kings’ 4-1 standing.

Starting Six

6’4” Senior Will Campbell

6’4” Junior Luke Turner

6’3” Junior Henry Wedbush

5’10” Senior Nico Posivak

6’5” Junior Cameron Lynch

6’3” Junior Aidan Peters

Set 1

The Cubs won the first point of the game after the Sea Kings touch the net on what would’ve been an excellent block. The Sea Kings tie the game when the Cubs make the same mistake but lose the deadlock with a kill from Luke Turner. The Sea Kings then double the deficit with a spike that sails out of bounds. A block from Corona means that the score is back to a one-point contest but a sideout restores the two-point difference. A big block from Tristan Mortimer helps the Cubs go up by 3 but the Cubs miss a serve to lead by only 2. The Cubs are again called for touching the net and go up by a solitary point before a kill from Campbell sends the lead to 2. The Sea Kings manage to power through a block for another point but a tip from Henry Wedbush is a quick response. The Cubs miscommunicate two time on the bounce to tie the game up but Mortimer spikes one from the middle to restore the advantage. The Sea Kings again break through the Cub blockers and manage a point that ties the game. The Sea Kings take their first lead of the match off an ace but lose it right away off a kill for Luke Turner. The Cubs send two hits over the end line and go down by two points for the first time in the game. Cameron Lynch gets a big block in the middle and the Cubs are able to come back within one. However, weak hands mean that the Sea Kings are able to spike in the middle and go back up by 2 before Cameron sends an emphatic spike that cuts it back to one. A missed touch means that the Cubs go back down by 2 but Henry spikes one from the opposite side so that the lead is just one. The Cubs miss the serve but Mortimer is able to spike one from the middle to the two position to restore the two point contest. The Cubs then win a battle of blockers as they cut the lead to one at 14-15. The Cubs finally tie the game again when the Sea Kings send a hit from the opposite side out of bounds. Will Campbell kills one for the Cubs straight through two blockers tow finally put the Cubs up by one. The Sea Kings tie the game once their hit makes its way through two blockers. Cameron Lynch sends a powerful spike down uncontested to restore the lead but the Cubs give the lead away immediately. Luckily, the Sea King serve flies out of bounds to restore the lead. The Cubs fail to dig a spike and fail to get the ball over in 3 to put themselves down by 1. A spike from Wedbush restores the tie before the Cubs give up another point. The Cubs get a spike from Mortimer that ties the game before failing to get the ball over and failing to dig a spike. The deficit is 20-22 when the Cubs call a timeout and attempt to take the set. The Cubs cross the line and give up another point out of the timeout and have to mount a comeback if they want to win the set. A pair of back to back tips goes the way fo the Sea Kings when a touch call is again missed. The Sea Kings lead 24-20 when the Cubs call timeout to try to score the necessary 6 unanswered points. The ask proves itself to big when a hit attempt immediately gets blocked to end the set.

Score 20-25

Set 2

The Cubs start the set with the same six that began the game except for the inclusion of Tristan Mortimer in place of Posivak. The Cubs have the first serve of the set, setting up Will Campbell for a serve before the Sea Kings send a spike past the Cub blockers for the first points of the points of the set. The Sea Kings get caught touching the net on a block to tie the set at 1. The Sea Kings respond by sending a spike over the Cub blockers for a one-point lead. However, the away team sends the next hit out of bounds and restores the tie. The Sea Kings get lucky on a miscommunication from the Cubs and are able to retake the lead. A tip from Aidan Peters confuses the opposition and allows the Cubs to tie the score. Henry Wedbush’s serve goes to waste after the lefty Sea King hitter again beats the blockers. The Sea Kings miss their serve, though, and tie the set. A curving hit from the Sea Kings allows them to go up by Luke Turner shows the Cub resilience in a hit that finds its mark at the two spot. The Cubs nearly convert on a block but are robbed of the point by a referee whistle shortly before a Turner hit gets blocked. The swing in momentum is further towards the opposition when they come up with a block for the three-point lead. Luke hits one hard and ends the run but the Sea Kings hit one from opposite that lands just on the line. The Cubs score four times on the trot thanks to a Peters blocks and a few Corona Del Mar errors. The swing puts the Cubs in front by a point, 10-9, before the Sea King coach decides he’s seen enough and calls a timeout. Luke serves the ball right after the break but the Sea Kings are able to overcome the hit and spike one right over the middle. The Cubs go up  by a point after Luke converts on a hit but quickly give up a spike and tip to go down one. The Cubs extend the slide when their spike sails over the net and out of bounds for the Sea Kings’ two-point, 11-13, advantage. The Sea Kings float a serve and give the Cubs some trouble but send their spike out of bounds and decrease the lead to two. A controversial serve from Henry Wedbush goes the way of the Cubs after initially favoring the Sea Kings, meaning the set is tied at 13. Aidan comes up with a big hit that puts the Cubs up one but the serve sideouts and the set is tied. The Sea Kings get caught touching the net and Aidan sends an ace over the net for the two-point lead. The Cubs give up another hit from the middle and cut the lead to one before sending their serve out of bounds. The Cubs fail to dig a powerful spike three times on the bounce, though, and surrender their lead to the Sea Kings. Luke Turner reliably ends the run and ties the game with a hit from the outside. A long rally goes against the Cubs after some stellar hits are answered and finished with a block. The Cubs go back to Luke though who finds the weak link in the defense and ties the game. The Cubs give up yet another hit from the middle to go down one but find Luke for yet another spike that leads to a point. The set is tied at 20 before the Sea Kings need four hits to get it over the net and surrender the tie. The Cubs can’t stop the hit that comes from the middle as another point from that spot ties the game. Aidan Peters elevates and answers the hit with one of his own, from the outside, to get the 22-21 lead. The Cubs come up with a clutch block that puts them up by 2 before strong block forces the Sea Kings to send an attempted spike out of bounds. The Sea Kings need a timeout at 24-21 to try to steal the set and take the commanding 2-0 set lead. Out of the timeout, the Cubs give up a hit from the middle and make the set tense by giving up a hit from the outside that lands in their own side of the court. The Cubs take a timeout of their own when the score is 24-23 to attempt to clinch the set. Out of the timeout, the Sea Kings come up with a massive block that ties the game. The Cubs finally end the run when Campbell elevates on the outside to send a spike that puts the Cubs up 25-24. An unforced error from the Sea Kings ends the set and ties the game overall.

Score 26-24

Set 3

The Cubs start the game with the six that started the first set in the quest to capture the all important first set. Luke Turner shows that one blocker simply isn’t enough when he rises for a hit that gives the Cubs the first point of the set. The Cubs send a serve short but get a block from Peters and a spike from Lynch to take a 3-1 lead. Henry Wedbush builds on the lead with a spike that proves too powerful for the Sea King blockers. The Sea Kings then give up another point off a double and trail 5-1 at the commencement of the third set. The Cubs continue the hot streak when an attempted hit from the middle flies over the back line and out of bounds. The Sea Kings need a timeout to try to regroup and overcome the now 6-1 lead. Out of the timeout, the away team spikes over the middle and end the Cub run. Aidan shows that the response from the Sea Kings won’t turn into a run as he spikes one from the outside without blockers to restore the five-point advantage. The Sea Kings successfully spike one from the middle and get the Cubs to hit a ball that was going out for the lead to be cut. The Sea Kings miss a serve but win a long rally and block a hit for the lead to become just two points in favor of the Cubs. The Sea Kings send an attempt from the outside out of bounds but rebound with an uncontested off a Cub dig to make sure the disadvantage remains two. The Cubs find Mortimer to extend the lead back to two as he rises from the middle. The Cubs give up a point but get one right back with a hit from Campbell. The Cubs continue the back and forth trend when their rally ends with a failed dig. They get three points on the bounce when the Sea Kings hit the pole, give up a Peters hit, and give up an ace. The run ends with a miscued hit from the Cubs but comes back with back to back hits. The Sea Kings need a timeout when they see that the Cub lead is at 6 with the score being 16-10. Out of the timeout, the Cubs win a point off a Sea King lift but give one up when they cross under the net. Aidan Peters shows that one blocker isn’t sufficient when he elevates from the opposite side to restore the 7-point Cub lead. The Sea Kings again give up a point when they double and commit an unforced error. The Cubs have their hit blocked but find Mortimer who demonstrates that the middle blockers stand no chance against him. Will hits one from the outside and overpowers the blockers to make sure the Cubs go up 7, 21-14. A serve from Radanovich finds Luke and the Cubs go up by 8. The Cubs give up a point, however, when they touch the net and can’t respond to a powerful serve that becomes an ace. The Cubs don’t have to endure the same server, though, as he sends his serve into the net. The Cubs get an ace of their own with a floaty serve from Will Campbell before giving up 2 consecutive points to the Sea Kings. Fortunately, the Cubs force the Sea Kings into a spatch that sails out of bounds after a long rally where they were largely the offensive side.

Score 25-18

Set 4

The Cubs start the fourth set with the usual suspects, Campbell, Peters, Turner, Wedbush, Posivak, Lynch, in the journey to end the game in four. A masterful dig from Wedbush means that the Cubs are able to force the Sea Kings into two consecutive hits that fly out of bounds. The Cubs finally give up a point but respond quickly by setting up Cameron in the middle for a beautiful hit. The Sea Kings hit the net on an attempted hit and are blocked by Wedbush to give up two quick points. The sweet serve from Luke Turner forces a Sea King into a double hit, necessitating a timeout from the opposition. The lead is 6-1 out of the break as Luke serves to the Sea Kings who were out of rotation. The Cubs then block a hit in the middle and a powerful serve from Turner sets up an easy hit for Lynch. The Cubs have the Sea Kings rattled as they send a spike out of bounds again. The lead is 10-1 before the away team can respond with spike from the opposite side. The Cubs hit the ball with power and win back a point. The team gives up another point but finds Wedbush on the outside to set up a spike to the one spot. The Sea Kings are forcing everything as they send another spike out of bounds. Will Campbell denies a potential hit emphatically as the Cubs go up by a commanding eleven points. The Sea Kings manage two spikes directly after, though, and cut the lead to 9. A miscued set to Campbell ends with a point for the Sea Kings but Mortimer rises uncontested for a big slam. Peters gets an ace on the outside line and restores the 10-point lead. The Sea Kings again send a hit out of bounds before stepping under the net to go down 12 looming points. The problems only seem to get worse for the away side when they serve one that flies far past the end line. A block from Turner exposes that the Sea Kings crossed under the net and puts the Cubs up 20-7. The Cubs miss a serve but find Campbell for an outside hit that finds home. On the next play, Turner does the same on the opposite side for the 22-8 Cub advantage. The Cubs get caught on a tip but bounce back with a spike from Lynch. The looming Cub blockers again force the Sea Kings into a hit that flies out. The Cubs find Aidan Peters on the final spike to end the game

Score 25-9