During a historic first rivalry game against Male High School, Manual’s varsity boys’ volleyball team triumphed over the Bulldogs, easily winning three sets.
First Set:
The game began with Male serving, with Seth Niemann (#3, 10) scoring the first point of the game shortly after. The Crimsons would then score four consecutive points before Male got their first point after they tipped the ball over the net.
Two more points were added to Manual’s tally after Grayson Boehm (#41, 12) and Gavin Fulton (#7, 12) each scored a point. Many points were also awarded to Manual after various balls were ruled out of bounds by the Bulldogs.
After consistent play by both teams, Fulton scored again. The score was then 10-3 for the Crimsons. Both teams would then fail to block various balls and many of the Bulldogs’ shots went out of bounds.
A timeout was called when the score was 18-6 with Manual in the lead. When the game resumed Luke Boggs (#14, 11) served for Manual. His serve helped Manual earn yet another point.
Jonathan Vu (#11, 9) then made a point-saving dig that sent the ball above the net, giving Manual a point after the Bulldogs didn’t get to the ball in time before it hit the ground.
The first set finally concluded with Niemann capturing the final point. The score of the first set was 25-8, in favor of the Crimsons.
“We’ve been working a lot on serving, and serving the zones that we tell them to. They all hit their zones which allowed us to have a lead enough to let all the seniors have a shot at playing tonight,” head coach Ellie Puckett said.
Second Set:
To start the second set, Boggs served first and the Crimsons got the first point of the set after a Bulldogs miscommunication. However, Male put that behind them and scored shortly after. After consistent rallying and points garnered by both teams, Manual subbed Boehm out for Niv Patel (#28, 10).
In an attempt to hit a spike, a Male player hit the net, now making the score 7-4 for Manual. The next point was then scored by Niemann after Boggs set him up for the spike.
Afterwards Male subbed out a player, which was followed by continuous back-and-forth rallying until Male hit the ball out of bounds. Soon after, Patel was subbed out by Boehm.
After a triple block by Niemann, Boehm and Patrick Galla (#52, 9), the score was now 13-6, with Manual leading. Shortly after, another timeout was called. Once the set resumed, Boggs served once more. After the ball came back to Manual’s side, Boehm was able to earn Manual another point after an incredible dig.
After another block by Boehm and Galla, Manual subbed out Boggs for Kyunghoon Kang (#5, 12) and Thomas Kang (#10, 12) was subbed in for Fulton. Male subbed out players as well.
Various attempts to save the ball by Male were unsuccessful and as a result, Manual led Male by 14 points, with a score of 22-8. Shortly after, a minor miscommunication between Lincoln and Boehm cost Manual a point.
The set ended with Boggs being subbed back in and helping set up Lincoln for a spike. The score of the second set was 25-14, a Manual set win.
Third Set:
The Crimsons had a very successful start to the third set, with the first point scored by Niemann. Six more points would be earned by Manual before a timeout was called.
Once the game resumed, Boggs served and the Bulldogs were unsuccessful in returning the ball before it hit the ground. The score would reach 10-0 before Male scored any points.
Even after scoring, Male suffered various miscommunications that cost them points.
After both teams scored multiple points, Manual subbed out Kang for Fulton and Daniel Jiang (#20, 20) for Niemann. Jiang then served.
Kang made a single block that resulted in Manual gaining a point. Afterwards, Boehm scored two more points. Galla was then subbed out by Brandon Chu (#23, 9). One of the best accidental points made during this set was by Boggs, who hit the ball with his elbow and sent it over the net.
Kang was subbed out by Colin Selch (#13, 12) towards the end of the game, at which point the score was now 22-5 for the Crimsons. Both schools would then score their final points before Manual scored their twenty fifth point, winning the third and final set.
The Crimsons won three sets against the Bulldogs in their first rivalry game.
“It’s a momentous occasion, beating Male was such a good way to start our long history,” Niemann said.
