San Marcos boys volleyball began their season on a high note, coming away with a sweep over Valencia, 25-16, 25-14, 25-16, on Wednesday inside the Thunderhut.
The Royals came out of the gates a bit slow, but they quickly shook the rust off and found a groove from the service line.
“We had a very good offseason and are still building on a few successful seasons over the past six years,” San Marcos coach Roger Kuntz said. “We have a great deal of experience and talent in our starting rotation, so it is important to find the missing pieces of the puzzle in our early outings.”
Once San Marcos settled in, they never looked back and came away with a trio of comfortable set wins over the Vikings.
Cameron Earls and Ayden Welch shared the setting duties for the Royals, facilitating the offensive attack.
“We have been blessed with great setters over the years and this year we are loaded at that position again,” Kuntz said. “Cameron was our number one beach player in the fall, and his preparation and work ethic are to be admired on the indoor court as well.”
Mason Rice led the team in kills with 11 while Landon Sheffey and Matteo Burdick tallied eight apiece. Libero Cliff Ficker turned in a solid performance defensively and on the service line.
“Many of these players were starters last season, and the experience shows,” Kuntz said. “We will work hard to improve as we play in the Redondo Union Tournament this coming weekend.”
The Royals will open play in the 28-team Redondo Union Tournament on Friday against El Segundo. They enter as the No. 3 seed behind Mira Costa and Huntington Beach.
