On Thursday, September 29, the Sage Creek Bobcats beat the San Dieguito Academy Mustangs. The Bobcats won four sets in a rivalry that has now developed between the two schools. The Mustang’s volleyball team is coached by Sage Creek physical education teacher, David Savage and his wife, Amanda Savage.

Savage had confidence in the SDA Mustangs going into the game, however, he was facing a Bobcats team that is currently 3-1 in the last four games. He stated that his strategy, “[would] not change” against the Bobcats even though they have a mixture of weapons on their team.

He described the game by mentioning how he has, “known a lot of the players for a long time [and that] the game should be a good battle.”

Speaking of battles, the assistant coach for the Sage Creek Bobcats, Audrey Palomares, coaches with Savage for men’s volleyball. She described how the rivalry has formed between the two schools and the key matchups going into game.

“It will be a good matchup with battles by senior Riley Gill and junior Sarah Colla who are the two better outsides in the league. Alongside, the libero battle by senior Stephanie Milam and senior Kiani Kerstetter to determine who is the better team.“

The Bobcats jumped out to a 2-0 set lead thanks to great play by Gill and senior Lizi Cudal who both had a 50 percent kill percentage in the first two sets against a slow-starting Mustang team. Later in the third set, the Bobcats could not match the joust of outside hitter Colla, who rallied the Mustangs back into the game with a hurt hamstring. In the fourth set, the Bobcats clawed out to a 12-0 run due in part by senior Lily Wright’s two key blocks and terrific passes by Milam. The Bobcats won the game with a huge energizing overpass smack by sophomore Summer Fitzgerald, who celebrated with a whip.

Outside hitter Cudal described the win as “pretty fantastic. It was exhilarating, but we felt like we’d earned it. We just played our game and stayed hyped.”