Young, Glendale Adventist Academy boys’ volleyball gets through Yeshiva
GLENDALE — Joshua Young heated up quickly in the hot gymnasium.
By the time the Glendale Adventist Academy boys’ volleyball player completed his best performance this season, the Cougars had picked up a confidence-building victory.
Young finished with 29 kills and five blocks Wednesday to lift host Glendale Adventist to a 19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22 Independence League win against Yeshiva.
“Everything came together for the team and I,” said Young, a senior outside hitter added three aces. “You just have to be able to keep your eye on the ball and rely on your teammates to make good passes. That’s what happened today and we’re gaining confidence with every match we play.
“We came back after losing the first set and we started to play with more confidence. There were a lot of close sets and we were able to find a way to take it. I’ve had some matches where I’ve had around 20 kills, but this was my best performance on the season.”
Young finished with 10 kills, two blocks and one ace in the fourth set to aid the Cougars (2-4, 2-2 in league). Glendale Adventist never trailed in the fourth set, though it received a scare late from Yeshiva (3-5, 2-3).
A kill by Young gave the Cougars a 16-10 lead before registering another kill to extend the lead to 19-12. The Panthers fought back valiantly, going on an 8-1 run to knot it at 20. A kill by Young made it 22-20 before a kill from Jack Canas sealed the win.
“I liked the way we stayed with things after losing the first set,” Glendale Adventist coach Marton Medina said. “We have a lot of guys who are new to the team and playing new positions, so it’s been a bit of a work in progress.
“They are gaining confidence playing their positions and I tell them they are good. You look at a guy like Joshua and you see right away what he’s capable of doing. It’s really nothing new to us and he had a great match.”
Yeshiva took a 14-9 lead in the third set on a kill by Eli Isaacs (10 kills). Glendale Adventist followed with a 7-0 run to take a 16-14 advantage , capped by a kill from Young. The Cougars closed out the set on a 9-5 surge, getting three kills each from Young and Canas (12 kills) to take a 2-1 lead.
The second set went back and forth throughout. An ace from Aaron Recalde gave Glendale Adventist a 16-9 lead. However, Yeshiva pulled to within 20-18 on a kill by Eyton Merken, forcing Medina to call a time out. Glendale made it 24-20, but a kill by Merken brought the Panthers to 24-23. Young closed out the set with a kill down the left side.
The Panthers controlled most of the first set, jumping out to a 19-7 lead on an ace from Isaacs. Glendale Adventist could get no closer than 24-19 before Isaacs had a kill to conclude the set.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
