Eleazar Nava dished out 29 assists to pace Weston Ranch in its exciting come-from-behind win over East Union last night at Weston Ranch High School. The Cougars rallied to win the final three sets and claimed a 3-2 match victory.
“It was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever coached,” said head coach Rebecca Kinlaw. “I am so proud of the team’s effort and ability to fight through adversity. They dug deep and played with a lot of composure and heart. Then, when times got tough, they found a way to win.”
The Cougars won by scores of 25-27, 15-25, 25-20, 25-12, and 15-5.
East Union outlasted Weston Ranch in the game’s grueling opening set and then raced past the Cougars in set two. Weston Ranch needed to find a spark before game three, down two games to none and facing a possible Lancers sweep.
“We started our match against East Union by losing the first two sets and could have easily given up,” Kinlaw said. “Sets one and two, we struggled with passes, hits, and serves. However, after the second set, we rallied together in the huddle and came out fired up in the third set,” Kinlaw said.
Weston Ranch put together a 25-20 third-set win and then dominated the Lancers in the fourth set 25-12. The Cougars would close out game five with a convincing 15-5 victory. The third set seemed to be the spark the Cougars needed to bury the Lancers.
“In the third set, things started to go our way, and our confidence grew. By set five, the energy in the gym from our team and our crowd was amazing.”
In addition to his 29 assists, Nava collected four kills and two blocks. Diego Montes had 18 digs. Abraham Palacios had 14 digs and 11 kills. Amari Dacus had six kills and five blocks. Josiah Zamarripa added four kills and two blocks. Maeson Bayot rounded out the stats with four kills for Weston Ranch.
The Cougars are now 4-0 and play Lathrop on March 10 at Weston Ranch. The Spartans will be another big test for the Cougars. Lathrop (4-1) was 31-1 last year and was the 2022 CIF Sac-Joaquin D3 Section Champions. Weston Ranch will need another spark.
JV plays at 4:30, and the Varsity follows at 5:30.
