For the first time in Castaic boys’ volleyball history, the Coyotes are unbeaten through the first four games of the season following a road win over Trinity Classical Academy.
The Coyotes, who swept the Knights in straight sets, 25-23, 25-12, 25-16, showcased their most dominant performance all season as they recorded 14.0 kills per set, their most all season.
Castaic head coach David Chae said that, although the season is young, he’s excited to see the potential of his Coyotes (4-0) on full display in the win over the Knights (1-2) and believes the performance can translate into future games.
“I just love our team,” he said. “I think we have all the experience. We have a lot of offense and as long as we just stay focused, we’ll be OK.”
In the first set, the Knights and Coyotes dueled for the win with neither able to build upon their lead to run away for the victory.
The biggest lead for Castaic came when the Coyotes led 20-17 following a kill from senior middle blocker Evan Delim, who tallied nine kills total in the game.
After the kill from Delim, the Knights called a timeout to regroup and came out of the break with a point following an error by the Coyotes.
Despite the point, the Coyotes’ offense responded and extended their lead to 24-18 after a kill from senior opposite hitter Jared Rivera.
The Knights stormed back to cut the Coyotes’ lead to 24-22 but Castaic took the first-set win after another kill from Rivera.
In the second set, the Coyotes took a double-digit win and had their momentum translate into the third set to win, 25-16.
Although his Knights were swept, Trinity head coach Dan Hastings said he saw encouraging signs from the loss and believes they’re still playing their best volleyball.
“Castaic is a super good team but I’m super proud of ours, too,” he said. “We’re doing super good and we’re playing great volleyball right now so I can’t complain.”
As for Chae, the win means a lot for him as he is finally getting to see the foundation he built five years ago come to fruition now as he believes this is the best Coyotes team in years.
“I’m cherishing every moment. It’s been a long ride,” Chae said. “For all five years, I’ve felt every loss, and finally, we’re trying to turn a corner a little bit. I’m loving it.”
The Coyotes begin Foothill League play on Tuesday, March 3, and with already prominent wins in the early non-league slate of their schedule, Chae is looking forward to what the rest of the year has to offer.
“As long as we stay focused, I think we’ll be OK. And I’m really confident going in,” he said. “Our league is always tough. Every coach, every team, has their share of club players, has their share of experience. But I think we’re ready this year, so I’m more confident than ever before.”
The Knights will look to bounce back on the road Thursday against the Milken Wildcats of Los Angeles with the game set to begin at 5 p.m.
For Hastings, the loss hurts, but he added that much can be learned from the defeats as much as the wins and that he knows his team will be better moving forward.
“We’re a super small school. We got eight to nine guys tonight. So, we’re competing with the big dogs,” Hastings said. “And that’s what makes it fun for us in the preseason, and it prepares us, in my opinion, prepares us for the [Heritage] league.”
