Manteca won the first two sets Wednesday night, dropped the next two and then edged visiting Sierra in the fifth to remain undefeated in boys Valley Oak League volleyball play 25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-12, handing the Timberwolves their first league loss.

“We knew all along that this was going to be the battle,” Buffaloes coach Jennifer Reis said. “A lot of the boys play with each other and against each other during the club season, and it is just awesome to see the level of play now for boys volleyball.”

Jesus Gomez led Manteca (4-0 VOL, 11-2 overall) with 15 kills, including three in a row in the middle of the last set that helped propel the Buffaloes to that crucial win.

“It was a stressful night,” Gomez said. “Our energy dropped after the first two sets, but we got it at the end.”

Manteca’s Aidan Patton (11 kills, four blocks) came up with a resounding kill to end the match.

“This was a big game tonight, because it pretty much decided first place so far,” Patton said. “We came into tonight expecting a lot and they fought a lot, but I think we handled it pretty well.

“We let down a little bit for two sets and let them up, but I think we finished pretty well.”

Julio Mateo added seven kills and two blocks for the Buffaloes.

“I think we played very well,” Mateo said. “We had a big lead, and then we let off the gas but we came back and fought well.”

Garrison Reis chipped in five kills and a block for Manteca, and Mark Bondoc dished out 35 assists.

Sierra (3-1, 12-4) has had problems with slow starts.

“We have been having slow starts,” Timberwolves coach Danielle Deerinck said. “I’m glad that we turned it around, picked up our energy and gave it a good fight. They have a good team.

“We had our opportunities, but we made some mistakes and they made some great hits. I told them to keep their heads up, and we are going to have another chance.”

Sierra’s Owen Altadonna (14 kills, four blocks) tallied three kills and a block on consecutive points late in the second set to bring the Timberwolves from a 22-16 deficit to within 22-20 and added one more block in the set, but Sierra sailed the final serve of the set long to give the win to the Buffaloes.

“He has very good energy,” Deerinck said of Altadonna. “We talk about using the first ball and free balls and trying to use those as opportunities, mixing it up and not getting predictable.

“He was doing that, hitting it hard and trying to run different routes and be unpredictable and it was working.”

Landon West added 13 kills for the Timberwolves, Bonpatrick Estrella tallied 16 digs, Primo Estandarte had 35 assists and seven kills, Santino Flores posted nine kills and three digs and Samuel Mortenson had five digs.

The Buffaloes host Weston Ranch on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Sierra hosts Central Catholic on Wednesday, April 3.

Junior varsity

Sierra 2, Manteca 1

The Timberwolves were edged 27-29 in the first set before rebounding with 25-15, 15-6 wins.

Seban Thomas paced Sierra with nine kills. Manola Asuncion dished out 16 assists with nine service points and three assists; Arsh Gosal added 11 service points behind two aces with Toan Do tallying 10 digs with six apiece for Rayan Ballew and Kevin Gracia.

Alex Khizeran paced the Buffaloes with 16 digs. Hayden Silva (nine assists, five digs), Dennen Loureiro (five digs, three kills), Logan Rouriell (four digs, two kills) and Donovan Morse (two blocks, two kills) rounded out the Manteca attack.