Blazers survive sloppy play to beat Einstein

Playing in their last home game of the regular season this afternoon, the Boys' Volleyball team shook off sloppy play to beat the Albert Einstein Titans, 15-13, 15-12.

The Blazers jumped to a quick lead in the first game, pulling ahead 7-2. They then fell into a slump, allowing the Titans to go on a 7-2 run to tie the game at nine each. During this stretch, the Blazers were plagued by careless errors, including many missed serves. Nonetheless, they came back to finish the game strong on kills by senior hitters William Hwang and Mike Li.

In the second game, the Blazers could not continue the momentum they established at the end of the first game. They fell back into a funk, as the Titans built a 10-3 lead. Not giving up, the Blazers managed to stage a determined comeback to tie the game at 12 before pulling away at the end to win the match.

Hwang led the Blazers with 9 kills. Sophomore Tim Yang notched five aces.

According to coach Rajesh Rathnam, the Blazers played very carelessly. "We weren't moving our feet at all. We weren't active on the court," he said. Many players agreed. "It was a scrappy game. I know we can play a lot better," Li added.

Rathnam also noted that the Blazers lacked concentration. "There wasn't the same level of concentration as in our game against Springbook," he said.

The Blazers begin the playoffs at home on Monday as the #5 seed. Rathnam reiterated that in the playoffs, the Blazers will need to concentrate more than they did today. "We need more focus," agreed senior middle hitter Daniel Mauer. Rathnam pointed out that the Blazers also need to pass the ball better.

Still, the Blazers are looking forward to having a successful postseason. "We know we can get somewhere. We will fight hard to get through the playoffs," said Li.