A boys volleyball rivalry may finally be brewing in Ripon.
After losing the first 11 matches in its developing series with Ripon Christian, visiting Ripon High broke through Thursday with a 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory.
Ripon Christian (1-2), the two-time reigning Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV champion, will be returning to the Trans-Valley League in the next academic year, so there will be more frequent showdowns between the neighboring schools.
“I’m sure they’re going to be fun,” Ripon outside hitter Alex Alvarellos said. “It’ll be competitive. This feels really nice. We have seniors who have been playing all four years, and this is their first time beating RC. I’m just really glad we won for them.”
Senior captains Anthony Gomez (five kills, 12 assists), Marquell Marshall (10 digs) and Martin Raygoza (17 assists, seven digs) led this landmark victory for the Indians (3-3), who have struggled to establish a consistent rotation while being tested by winning teams in the early going.
“For us to win this match, I’m so hopeful for this entire season,” Ripon coach Tara Maruyama said. “It has taken us a little while to try and figure it out; we’ve had a few people get sick. We’ve had 2-3 different players ill in every single game we’ve played. We’re on the mend, and I feel like we have a really good rotation now. Things are looking good.”
Two heavy-handed sophomores stood out in this cross-town clash. Mason Tameling tallied a match-high 21 kills to go with two aces for Ripon Christian, while Alvarellos finished with 19.
Alvarellos, however, had to overcome nine hitting errors, five of them coming in the opening set. Fortunately for the Indians, they have many other front-line options. Jesse Ochoa contributed with seven kills, and 6-foot-6 sophomore Trent Olmo had four kills and a whopping 10 blocks (seven solo).
Armando Ayon rung up his fourth kill on the final point of the match, as Ripon ended the Knights’ run of six consecutive points.
“I have a lot of guys who can hit,” Maruyama said. “Even though I have a couple club players, they’re very inexperienced club players. You can win without a team full of club players, and that to me is what I’m most proud of.”
With the bulk of its championship core gone to graduation, Ripon Christian is having to learn on the fly in a condensed schedule. With multiple players, including senior setter Preston Zuidervaart and Tameling, arriving late from the basketball season, the Knights just played their third match of the season in as many days.
Daniel Lambdin (eight kills), Isaiah Vander Woude (six kills) and Darren Van Groningen (four kills, two blocks) were other top contributors for RC on Thursday.
The Knights were unable to take advantage of set point for a second straight night. On Wednesday, they had a chance to extend their match at Sierra but couldn’t shut the door on game 3 after leading, 24-23. They held a 24-22 lead in the opening set with Ripon, which came back to steal it thanks to a pair of service aces from Gomez.
Every set played, no matter the result, is valuable experience for one of the youngest teams the Knights have fielded.
“It’s been a lot,” Tameling said of RC’s taxing first week of the season. “We’ve had three games in a row and we’re already kind of banged up. We’re a young team, so we’re learning how to respond in certain situations.
We have to learn from those moments. It’s all the little things that come before that, it’s not just those last points.”
Ripon Christian looks to bounce back next week against two more future TVL foes, hosting Hilmar on Tuesday before heading to Escalon on Thursday, March 14. Ripon faces Oakdale and Waterford on the road on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
