On Thursday night the Merced High and El Capitan High boys volleyball teams faced off in a high-stakes rivalry matchup. El Capitan, last year’s CCC winners, came into the game 3-0 in league play without losing a single set to a CCC opponent. Meanwhile, a scrappy Merced Bears squad entered the match at 2-1, looking to improve in the standings.
Set 1
El Capitan controlled the first set early. The Gauchos came out strong and athletic, using powerful spikes and domineering blocks to control the contest. Merced recorded a few early aces, including two from Jacob Dickson, but could not match the Gauchos’ offensive pace. El Capitan’s Tyler McCreary led the offense with five kills. El Capitan’s consistency at the net and strong communication allowed them to dominate as they closed out the set 25-14.
Set 2
Merced rebounded in the second set, taking advantage of El Capitan errors. Pablo Santiago recorded successful kills, while John Xiong added multiple aces to extend Merced’s lead. The Gauchos set up powerful spike attempts for Tyler McCreary and Kory Moua throughout the set, but the front line for the Bears held strong in Set 2, denying numerous spikes at the net as the Gauchos struggled to find their rhythm. Jacob Dickson kept the team energized as Merced maintained control, pulling away late to win 25-19 and shocking the Gauchos who hadn’t lost a CCC set all season.
Set 3
With both teams winning a set, El Capitan tried to take back control in Set 3, grabbing a slight lead after a few Merced errors. Merced, however, kept their composure and responded with strong offensive plays, including a total of five kills between Jacob Dickson and Brandon Puckett that helped them temporarily take control. However, El Capitan’s defense, including crucial blocks from Tyler McCreary, slowed Merced’s momentum and allowed the Gauchos to regain the lead. Despite Merced’s efforts to close the gap, El Capitan finished the set 25-15, taking a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Set 4
WIth Merced’s back against the wall and the Gauchos on the verge of closing out another victory, the pressure was on the Bears to deliver. Set 4 opened with Cameron Vang getting Merced’s first point off a strong block, but El Capitan answered immediately after a Merced error. The beginning of the set saw both teams trading points, with errors and aces keeping the momentum shifting back and forth. El Capitan gradually started to pull ahead as Merced struggled to find consistency, and the Bears found themselves down 17-9. After a timeout, Jacob Dickson and Pablo Santiago helped spark a dramatic momentum shift. Long rallies by the Bears featured saves from Erick Nevarez and tip-over points for Merced from their front line. As the Bears chipped away at the lead, Dickson and Santiago combined for seven strong kills, bringing the score to 19-18. After a 10-1 run, all of a sudden, the Bears had stolen the momentum. Merced continued to pressure El Capitan, forcing errors and securing points. The Bears sealed the set with a decisive block to make it 25-21, tying the game at 2-2 and completing a reinvigorating comeback that gave the team tremendous energy heading into the fifth set.
Set 5
The fifth set was intense from the first serve, with both teams exchanging points and neither pulling ahead. Early errors kept the score close, and the tension built with every long rally. Merced slowly started to take control behind strong serves from Jacob Dickson, timely kills from Pablo Santiago, and solid net play from Cameron Vang. El Capitan tried to fight back with aggressive hits, but a few crucial mistakes allowed the Bears to pull ahead. As the set progressed, Merced’s energy and focus only grew, turning their earlier momentum from Set 4 into confidence. With consistent pressure and smart defensive plays, Merced completed the comeback and won the set 15-7, ending El Capitan’s undefeated league streak and giving Merced a victory in the rivalry matchup.
Merced captain Jacob Dickson reflected on the matchup and highlighted how they adjusted to El Capitan. “I think obviously they have strengths, we have strengths, and we all have weaknesses. I think we pinpointed those weaknesses, and we really executed well on both sides of the ball.” Looking ahead, Dixon emphasized the importance of staying focused throughout the game. “We need to keep the energy up while we’re up. So, we cannot let them come back when we’re still up.” He also emphasized what this victory meant for the team. “You know, a lot of people would have counted us out of this game, but we proved everyone wrong in [El Capitan’s] house.”
With the win over El Capitan, Merced improves to 3-1 in league play and leaps into second place in the CCC standings. The Gauchos fall to 3-1, ending their undefeated streak and dropping them into third place in the CCC. Both El Capitan and Merced now sit one game behind the CCC leading Golden Valley Cougars, who are 4-0 after their victory against Buhach Colony. Next week, El Capitan will host Golden Valley on March 31 at 6:00pm while Merced takes on the Los Banos Tigers on the same day at 5:00pm.
- Photos by Grace Gallegos ↩︎
