First conference title is within reach; Bulldogs host showdown
with Pioneer tonight
MORGAN HILL
While most of his classmates sat in the sun Wednesday on Beach Day for Sobrato High School seniors, Ethan Lines was at volleyball practice working on his sets.
“I decided I could afford either Grad Night or Beach Day,” he said. “I went with Grad Night. It should be more fun. I always need practice anyway. Can’t get enough practice.”
Especially now, with the first place Bulldogs on the verge of making history.
They swept Lincoln 25-7, 25-18, 25-12 Tuesday at SHS to move to 6-1 in the Santa Teresa Division. Three more wins and they will capture their first league championship, a stunning feat for a team that totaled three wins through its previous two seasons.
“It would be a major achievement for us,” second-year coach Todd Anderson said. “We came in with only two people who played volleyball at all last year. There’s a major difference in the skills compared from last year to this year.”
The Bulldogs host a showdown at 6:30 p.m. today against Pioneer, the one team that has beaten them in conference play this year, but they still have plenty of work ahead. Sobrato’s remaining schedule includes a road game May 3 at Branham followed by a regular-season finale against visiting Prospect — now tied with Pioneer for second place.
“We have a lot of self-motivation right now, especially from our captains,” sophomore Scott Mercado said of Lines and Estevan Santiago, who led SHS on Tuesday with six kills, four aces and four assists. “They’re really keeping us motivated and focused to do our best every game.”
The Bulldogs have come a long way since their five-game loss to Pioneer on March 29, much less last season.
“We were still learning how to win,” Lines said. “Our hitting has improved most. I like most of our team can decent. It’s not just one guy hitting anymore; it’s a variety of people. We’re mixing it up.”
Sobrato’s newfound success could easily carry over to next year. Freshman Drew Mammen leads the team in aces (54) and has the second-most kills with 97. Mercado and Logan Mosher, both sophomores, have combined for 65 kills, and freshman Daniel Clifton is third in digs (33) for SHS.
“With this freshman class, we have a really good chance to be contending for a while,” said Anderson, who has received tremendous support from assistant coach Mike Nydam. “Everyone wants to look forward. But we’re at the point where we’re excited just to play our next game.”
For the Bulldogs, winning a league title would be just as enjoyable as the journey to it.
“It’s been awesome,” Lines said. “I couldn’t want anything else for my senior year.”
