Other Articles in this Category
Most Viewed Stories
Most Commented Stories
Most Recommended Stories
Save & Share this Article
VOLLEYBALL -- Pride bounce Basha in four; face DV in semis
Comments 0 | Recommend 0Like a boxer preparing for a title bout, Mountain Pointe needed a tough fight to get ready for Saturday's Class 4A/5A-Division I boys volleyball semifinals against rival Desert Vista.
And the Pride got it from region rival Chandler Basha.
After winning the opening two games with some cushion, the Pride were pushed into a fourth game by the Bears before coming away with quarterfinal victory and a ticket to the semifinals against Desert Vista Saturday afternoon a Marana Mountain View High School.
It was the third time the Pride have beaten the Bears this season and the second time the match has gone to an extra game.
Mountain Pointe got comfortable at home with a 25-21 victory in the first game and a 25-17 win in the second.
But when the Pride were one point away from sweeping the match, leading 24-22, the Bears jarred them with four straight points for a 26-24 win, forcing the match into a fourth game.
Mountain Pointe coach Fred Mann said that was the kind of match the Pride needed after coasting past over Sierra Vista Buena in the opening round of the playoff.
"I'm glad we had this battle," Mountain Pointe coach Fred Mann said. "I congratulate them. They played us extremely well, but out guys battled too."
Getting the tournament's second seed gave the Pride a chance top host the opening two games of the playoffs and the home court advantage. Mountain Pointe hasn't lost a match at home in two seasons.
Senior Brandon Barna had 19 kills for the Pride and Bryan Lee added seven more.
"We had them and didn't finish them off in the third game," Lee said.
The Pride had four consecutive hitting errors at the end of that game, giving the Bears an opening.
"We'll learn from that," said junior setter Alex Hamill, who had four serving aces and 38 assists. "That made the fourth game a little tougher."
Basha took a 16-15 lead in the fourth game before the Pride made a 10-4 run to close it out.
Saturday's semifinals with be the seventh time Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista have played this season. The Pride have won all but one.
See archived 'Sports' Stories »
We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.
