The Sobrato boys volleyball team begins defense of its first league championship Thursday at Lincoln in Santa Teresa Division play.
Sobrato will also host Christopher at 5:30 p.m. Monday, and Oak Grove on Tuesday in nonleague action.
Coached by Todd Anderson, the Bulldogs are seniorless but returned five players from their 2011 squad that went 15-10 (9-1 league) and earned the program’s first Central Coast Section playoff berth.
The Bulldogs have started the season 3-5, including a 2-3 finish in a March 3 tournament at Leigh High School. They rallied from two games down to beat visiting Pioneer 23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 27-25, 15-13 on Wednesday for their first victory in best-of-five play. Drew Mammen had 24 kills, 12 assists, three blocks and two aces, and 6-foot, 4-inch junior Ryan Mitchell went for six kills and 11 blocks to lead the Bulldogs. Scott Mercado added 14 kills, and freshman setter Andre Vigano had 21 assists.
Sobrato lost in four games to visiting Oak Grove on Thursday, despite 13 kills, 14 assists, five digs, four blocks and three aces by Vigano and a dozen kills by Mammen. Mercado chipped in seven kills and three blocks.
The teams played a marathon third game that Oak Grove won 35-33.
Mammen, a sophomore, leads the team with 61 kills, and Vigano has 58, plus 10 aces, 16 blocks and 11 digs.
The rest of the Santa Teresa Division includes Gunderson, James Lick, Prospect and Live Oak, which has revived its program under coach Hank Mao.
The Acorns will host their league opener at 6:30 p.m. against Branham.
