We're #2! We're #2! We're #2!

The South Pasadena High School boy's volleyball team went to play arch-rival San Marino this afternoon. At stake was the opportunity to go to the CIF playoffs. This was last regular season game, and the Tigers were 5-4 in league, and in 3rd place. The Titans were 4-5, and in 4th place. If the Titans won, a playoff between the Titans and Tigers would ensue, as each would have an identical 5-5 record. Fortunately, that did not happen.

(By the way, the picture of Mark and his friend, Kevin (Kurry) the setter, is from the alumni game earlier in the season. I love how high Mark is, and the look on Kurry's face, gazing up in awe at the white boy with hops.)

San Marino, using their boisterous crowd to their advantage, won the first game, I am thinking it was 25-20. The Tigers' coach wound up sitting all the starters about halfway through the game, so the second team played valiantly. But lost.

That move, though questionable, seemed to wake up the starters. They dominated games two and three. But they then lost focus, and lost a close game four, 27-25.

On to game five, the clincher. The Tigers won handily, though San Marino gave them a scare. A thrilling end to a five game match. Very good plays were made on both sides of the net, but South Pasadena was too tall, and too strong for San Marino to keep up with.

Mark had, by one count, 22 kills in the match. Sweeeeeeeeeet!

Bring on the playoffs!