The Philomath High School boys volleyball team swept a pair of league matches in Coos Bay Tuesday — both in straight sets over Marshfield and North Bend.
The Warriors opened with the host school and posted a 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 win. Coach Helen Bennett said Philomath’s lineup had to change a bit because of missing players for personal reasons and injuries.
“The first match was a test of the new lineup, which we only practiced with for an hour the day before,” she said, “but the boys got more and more comfortable with it as the matches went on.”
Senior Carson Winder played in the middle and led all hitters with nine kills to go along with two blocks against the Pirates. As a team, the Warriors had 12 ace serves.
In the second match, Philomath rolled to a 25-19, 25-15, 25-18 victory over North Bend. Winder had a match-high eight kills and two blocks. Junior Antonio Martiez, junior Chris Eaton and junior Mayson Wallace had a strong presence at the net with five kills each.
“I’m so impressed with the progress of those three players this season as they are now legit offensive threats, really expanding our options in our attacks,” Bennett said.
In addition, Bennett said senior Isac Marcelo “excelled in his setting efficiency against North Bend, giving all hitters accurate sets to swing away.”
Philomath equaled its performance in the first match with another 12 ace serves.
Philomath (6-0 league, 7-2 overall) will see its next action on April 29 at Newport with another league doubleheader. The Warriors will face the host Cubs at 4 p.m., followed by another match against Marshfield at 6 p.m.
The team will then step out of league play May 1 with a home match against Junction City and compete in a tournament May 3 at West Salem.