Prep boys volleyball: Vanden holds strong to extinguish Blazers in play-in
Athletes can be pretty meticulous about what they eat before a big game. Vanden High School junior Rigdhen Lama, however, isn't too picky.
"Honestly, I ate a chocolate waffle before the game," Lama said with a laugh. "That really motivated me."
The only thing sweeter than the waffle was Lama's hitting prowess.
The outside hitter racked up 15 kills and three aces, powering the boys volleyball team to a 27-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19 victory over Lindhurst in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III play-in match on Tuesday.
"This was a really big testament for how far we've come as a team," Lama said. "We started off the season really bad, had no energy, but now we have faith in each other, and I think that really showed tonight."
The Vikings won't get to celebrate for long. With the win, No. 15 Vanden punched its ticket to a first-round matchup against No. 2 Ripon Christian on Wednesday - less than 24 hours after the play-in match ended. Visit the reporter.com for an update on that match.
Lama certainly shined early, totaling five kills and two aces in the first set. He delivered back-to-back kills off assists from junior setter Niles Munstermann to ignite a 5-0 run that lifted the Vikings to the set win.
"He's doing it all," head coach Dalston Spencer said of Munstermann ."He's setting, he's playing defense, he's blocking, he's hitting. He's the total package."
Munstermann's all-around skillset was on full display in the second set, when he recorded four kills and four assists. Munstermann posted a team-high 16 kills to go along with 15 assists, while junior setter Tony Chaihanchanchai dished out a team-high 20 assists.
"I'm glad I'm able to get the ball to my hitters. Niles is a great hitter, he bounces every ball I set him," Chaihanchanchai said. "I've just got to stay calm because if I get in my head too much, then the sets are bad and my hitters can't adjust."
The Vikings looked poised for a sweep after racing off to a 6-1 lead in the third set, but the Blazers tied the set at 10-all before eventually taking a 21-20 lead. From there, Lindhurst closed out the set with a 4-2 run.
The Blazers carried their momentum into the fourth set, building an 18-14 advantage before the Vikings stormed back with a match-clinching 11-1 run. Lama fueled the rally with two kills and an ace, while junior middle blocker Ian Dodd punctuated the win with a kill through a block.
"These guys are playing their best volleyball here at the end of the season," Spencer said. "They really turned it up compared to the beginning of the season."
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