Del Oro too much for Pondo

Once the first game was in the books Ponderosa came out with new-found energy and intensity and gave Del Oro all it could handle. Although the Bruins didn’t win the match, they know what to focus and work on before the league season begins next week.

“Our team really just needs to work on being ready to play and awake in the first game,” Griffin O’Camb said. “We seem to start matches out slowly for some reason so that’s one of many things we need to improve.”

Outside hitter Nick Jokerst added, “Our team has the ability to be really good but our blocking needs to improve, our position on the court must be better and overall we just need to play with intensity through the entire match. Those are things we know we can improve. Once we do that that our team should play pretty well.”

In the second set Jokerst and Duncan Alexander (six kills apiece) supplied the power as Ponderosa raced out to a 14-8 lead over the stunned Eagles. Once the Bruins established momentum they didn’t let up. With good passing from Joel Engelmann and Riley Moore along with timely blocking at the net from Brock Dyer, O’Camb and Ryan Albertazzi, the Bruins maintained their lead.

But the Eagles rallied and pulled within one late in the set. Ponderosa was at game point, 24-23, when one of Del Oro’s players went into the net to put the winning point on the board. The Bruin victory evened the match at 1-1 heading in to the third game.

But over the next two games the Bruins kept the score close early before falling behind 21-14 in both.

“We can play really well at times and then there are things we need to work on,” Bruin coach Amy Stockett said. “The team has the ability to be tough but we need to work on staying consistent.”

The inconsistency showed as the deficit proved to be overwhelming both times for Ponderosa as Del Oro put both games away to win the match.

Ponderosa travels Thursday to meet Roseville starting at 6 p.m.