The Lathrop Spartans dropped the first two sets against the Manteca Buffaloes before roaring back to win the last three to score a massive 22-25, 13-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-11 non-conference victory Friday night.
“What a great game,” Spartans coach Toa Fa’ali’i said. “We knew coming here it was going to be a tough game; they always play us hard. We started flat in the first two sets, but I am proud of the way our guys responded.”
Manteca (5-3) took the first two sets behind great outside hitting from Jesus Gomez (15 kills) and defense from Donovan Morse (six blocks) and Mark Bondoc (four blocks).
“We talked at the end of the second set and just told them to keep their heads up,” Fa’ali’i said. “We knew we were still in the game, we are fighters and no matter what the score is were going to keep grinding to get back into it.”
The small mistakes that plagued Lathrop (6-3) seemed to fade almost instantly to start the third set, as it raced out to a 14-10 lead. Manteca fought back, but key digs from sophomore defensive specialist Elias Medel kept plays alive for setter Cameron Loyola to assist outside hitters Marco Palomares and Gabriel Fa’ali’i to inflict damage on the Buffaloes.
“Momentum is everything in this game,” Manteca coach Jennifer Reis said. “Obviously, we were able to pull off the first two sets to put us in a great spot, but you saw starting in the third set their outside hitters just kind of take over.”
Gabriel Fa’ali’i would finish the game with 29 kills, while Palomares hammered home 19 of his own. The terrific duo was set up all night long by first time setter Loyola, who recorded 49 assists.
“Cameron normally hits on the right side for us; today is the first time we asked him to set,” Toa Fa’ali’i said. “We had practice yesterday, and it kind of dawned on me that he might do well setting up our hitters. It went well in practice, and credit to him, he was ready tonight.”
Perfectly placed passes from Loyola set up the Spartans hitters to the tune of a 25-21 victory in the fourth set.
The fifth set was back and forth early on and found itself deadlocked at 10-10 with Lathrop serving. Sophomore middle blocker Gurmukh Singh then served on four consecutive points for the Spartans on a run that included a service ace, and yet another sliding dig from Medel to keep a play alive that resulted in a point for Lathrop. With Manteca serving down 14-11, setter Loyola faked a set and sent a ball towards the Manteca backline that fell untouched, completing the comeback.
For the Buffaloes, there are lessons to be learned in a game like this.
“We had some young guys step up in some big moments,” Reis said. “You can’t simulate what we saw tonight in practice, so I’m hoping that this loss and more importantly the way we lost going up 2-0 ultimately benefits us in the long run.”
Both teams will get back out on the court on Monday, with Lathrop traveling to Downey for their final non conference tune-up, and Manteca heading to Patterson to start Valley Oak League play.
