San Benito 5-0 in TCAL after Tuesday’s 3-0 sweep against
Salinas
It’s been four years since the San Benito boys volleyball team
has started league play with a perfect 5-0 record, but the Balers
returned to that perfect plateau Tuesday when they quickly
dispatched visiting Salinas in three games (25-7, 25-10, 25-9).
San Benito 5-0 in TCAL after Tuesday’s 3-0 sweep against Salinas
It’s been four years since the San Benito boys volleyball team has started league play with a perfect 5-0 record, but the Balers returned to that perfect plateau Tuesday when they quickly dispatched visiting Salinas in three games (25-7, 25-10, 25-9).
At 5-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League, San Benito sits atop the standings in first place, the only remaining team with an undefeated, unblemished record.
“It’s awesome,” San Benito head coach Luis Espinoza said simply.
Following 3-0 victories against perennial TCAL powers Gilroy and Monterey last week, the Balers found no equal against the Cowboys on Tuesday and built comfortable leads in all three games before a sweep was eventually met.
But although San Benito was the favorite in some circles to earn the league title this season, which would be the team’s first TCAL championship since 2001, their sweep streak may be a bit of an unexpected surprise.
Through five league matches against Alisal, Seaside, Monterey, Gilroy and Salinas, the Balers are not only undefeated, but they have won each match 3-0.
Thursday’s match at Palma took place after The Pinnacle’s press time.
“We thought we’d have more of a game with Monterey and Gilroy, but we played well against them, which is nice,” said senior right side Brian Hawks. “Hopefully we can do that against them the next time we play them.”
The Toreadores, who San Benito previously defeated in the preseason during the Spring Fling in Aptos, are the four-time defending TCAL champions. Gilroy, meanwhile, was undefeated at 8-0 entering their match with the Balers, and even downed Willow Glen, a team San Benito had lost to in the preseason.
“We expected Gilroy to give us a little more competition,” said senior outside hitter Erik Rodriguez, “but we wanted to beat everyone in three (sets).”
Fair enough.
The one-loss Mustangs are perhaps the one team that could derail San Benito’s TCAL-title hopes, however. The two teams met up last Thursday, and the Balers jumped out in the first set with a somewhat convincing 25-15 win (Espinoza calls his team’s intensity in the opening game their M.O.).
San Benito then managed to stave off Gilroy in the second set 25-21 in what turned out to be a rather deflating defeat for the Mustangs, which went on to lose the third set 25-13.
Heading into the second half of the season, which will begin April 16 at Alisal, the Balers will surely have a target on their back.
“There is a little bit of pressure,” senior setter Adrian Rodriguez said. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
“But it’s nice to do that compared to previous years,” added Hawks.
In what is certainly unknown territory for the Balers – the team hasn’t finished better than fourth place since 2005 – San Benito has handled itself perhaps better than expected.
Armed with Erik Rodriguez (2nd in TCAL with 2.8 kills per set), Adrian Rodriguez (2nd in TCAL with 8.4 assists per set) and Danny Ruiz (2nd in TCAL with 3.2 digs per set), among others, the Balers are the team to beat at the midway point, and they wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s tough because you’re the team to beat,” Espinoza said. “But it feels good.”
