On Monday, March 30, 2026, the SCHS varsity boys volleyball team beat the Eastside College Prep Panthers 3-1 in a neck-to-neck game. Simple mistakes lost many points on both sides of the net, and a smart use of feints and setter dumps gave the Bruins a stable lead.
Junior opposite hitter Gabriel Vieira helped force the Panthers into conceding points by utilizing spikes to attack certain areas of the court. This resulted in the Bruins winning the first set, with a score of 25-22.
“I usually try to hit deep corners because it’s harder to defend and a good way to get a point,” Vieira said. “I also just try to place the ball where the defense isn’t set up.”
In the second set, the Bruins managed to blow out the Panthers 25-11. Varsity head coach Brian Baltazar looked back on what allowed them to achieve the win.
“Being up four points at the start of the second set, having that lead gave us a lot of momentum,” Baltazar said. “The energy was high, and it helped us keep playing confidently. From there, we were able to stay aggressive and not fall behind.”
During the third set, mistakes occurred on both sides, preventing the Bruins from gaining momentum. They lost the set, scoring 22 points to the Panthers’ 25. Freshman middle blocker Devansh Chakraborty explained how he plans to improve in the future from the errors.
“I was a bit slow during the match,” said Chakraborty. “I kind of panic when I step into a block, so I need to work on my timing and learning how to read the hitter better so I can react faster.”
In the fourth set, the Bruins made less frequent mistakes and regained their momentum, finishing 25-16, ending the game in a Bruins victory with a set score of 3-1. Vieira reflected on his strengths during the final set and overall game.
“My defense was pretty good today, so I want to keep that up and also swing harder and finish points quicker,” Vieira said.
In the first and third set of the game, the Bruins and the Panthers pressured each other with a series of blocks, spikes and setter dumps. Nevertheless, there were still some mistakes on both sides that allowed easy points for the opposing team. Baltazar discussed how they plan to fix this in future practices.
“Hitting faster, hitting harder and playing smarter, continuing to clean up small mistakes, communicate better and keep improving overall as a team,” Baltazar said.