Plus, scores from around the Foothill League
After losing the first two Foothill League games of the season, the Canyon Cowboys have stormed back to a 3-2 record in league play following a straight-set sweep, 25-15, 25-23, 25-18, over the visiting West Ranch Wildcats on Thursday.
“We just took care of the ball, and we played consistent, and that’s what we’ve been working on, playing consistently,” Canyon head coach Jeff Cody said.
In the first and second sets, the Cowboys (13-7, 3-2) won decisively and had the momentum on their side going into the third set.
But in the third set, the tides shifted to West Ranch (5-7 2-3), and the Wildcats came out with energy and took an early 4-0 lead following an ace.
After a few back-and-forth rallies, the Cowboys took a 16-13 lead in the third set off a 16-9 scoring run, which prompted a Wildcats’ timeout.
After the game, Cody said the Wildcats played well in the third set, and the Cowboys had to adjust to take back the lead.
“[West Ranch] started to play a lot better. They played really well on that third set,” he said. “But mainly, like I said, we just stayed in it. Like we didn’t let it get to us.”
The Cowboys took the third-set victory after a 9-5 scoring run following the West Ranch timeout with Blake Hastings delivering the winning kill to secure the set point.
Cody added that Hastings has been a key hitter for the Cowboys this season and that he played “smart” in the win over West Ranch.
“I’m really proud of Blake Hastings for continuing to make the smart swing,” Cody said. “Sometimes hitters have a tendency to want to just swing hard every time, but he’s really learning how to play smart and swing hard when it matters.”
With the win, the Cowboys have won their last three league games and with the recent string of success, Cody is glad to see the Cowboys improving after starting the first two games of the league season winless.
“Those first two [league] games were tough, and we kind of had that moment where I felt like we could have gone either way,” Cody said. “But I’m really proud of these guys for stepping up and realizing we have to change our attitude and be a team and play tougher.”
The Cowboys’ next league contest is Tuesday against the Hart Hawks at home while the Wildcats will look to bounce back at home against the visiting Valencia Vikings.
Both games are set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
After Thursday’s games, here are scores from around the Foothill League:
Hart 3, Saugus 2: The Hart Hawks (7-8, 3-2) secured the five-set win over the Saugus Centurions (9-7, 3-2), 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 28-26, 15-9.
It was the Hawks’ third Foothill League win of the season and they will look to build upon their momentum in their next league game against the Cowboys at Canyon High School on Tuesday.
The Centurions will look to rebound in their next league game against the Coyotes at Castaic High School Tuesday.
Both games are set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Valencia 3, Golden Valley 0: The Valencia Vikings (15-7, 5-0) remain unbeaten through the first five games of the Foothill league season with a straight-set sweep, 25-7, 27-25, 25-22, over the Golden Valley Grizzlies (4-11, 1-5).
The Vikings play again on Tuesday against the Wildcats at West Ranch High School with the game set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
The Grizzlies will look to bounce back on Thursday for a matchup against the Coyotes at Castaic High School with the game set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
