The Diamond Ranch men's volleyball gym was buzzing for Thursday's Division 4 opener against the West Ranch Wildcats.
The Panthers, the Hacienda League champions, got the home energy early, but after taking time to adjust, the Wildcats responded as road warriors and were able to get a feel for the atmosphere.
As the Panthers ran their offense between and around the Wildcat passer and blocker, Cats coach Brandon Johnson rotated around spots to adjust blocks and help his team fight back.
“They had a very large gym, a very large cheer section, they had cheerleaders out, they had a very unique gym,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “My family was very noisy and the first set had a really crazy atmosphere that you don't see a lot in men's volleyball. We were a little shaky as a team and didn't play our best set. Once we calmed down and got into the rhythm of the game, we were in control for the rest of the game.”
West Ranch won the game 3-1, winning 22-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-21.
Wildcats junior Noah Dufner led the offense with 23 kills. Middle blockers Lucas Reuter and Aiden Prestridge added seven kills for West Ranch.
The Cats (21-11) can rely on standout juniors, but Johnson knows the team is at its best when the star players around West Ranch's star are putting the ball away. .
“It's really nice to have guys who can get kills at him, but it's what gets us the best when everyone else gets kills throughout the game,” Johnson said.
West Ranch's block was the catalyst in the third game, which ended 1-1. The Wildcats added six blocks to force the team into a lopsided set.
“For our team, which is not the tallest team in the world, being able to block to get points is really big,” Johnson said. “We had some momentum (after the third set), so we just had to make sure we carried that into the final set.”
Dufner led with five blocks, Reuter had four and middle Lucas Fico added three.
Diamond Ranch (16-13) adjusted and came close to a fourth, but West Ranch won thanks to Dufner's match point ace.
The Wildcats will return home to face the North Torrance Saxons (26-8) in the second round of the playoffs.
North, also a wild card team, advanced with wins 3-0 and 3-1.
West Ranch knows the competition will only get tougher from here, but a strong block and all-around hitting performance could get the Wildcats into the quarterfinals next week.
“Every game in the playoffs just gets harder and harder,” Johnson said. “It will be good for the players to be able to play their next game at home. There will be a comfort level, but it's still about execution and playing hard from the first point and being quick.” It’s about adjusting yourself step by step.”
West Ranch hosts North Torrance at noon Saturday.