BY GENE NARDI
On Thursday, March 2, the Wellington High School boys volleyball team hosted Royal Palm Beach High School for its season opener and defeated the Wildcats in three sets, 25-16, 25-8, 25-13. With the loss, Royal Palm Beach falls to 0-2 on the season.
From the start of the first set, the teams traded scores, then the Wildcats took a 6-4 early lead. Nate Vera provided consistent play in the middle for Royal Palm Beach, setting several of the points. The Wolverines rallied to tie it up at 8-8, forcing Royal Palm Beach to use a time-out to regroup.
Wellington then began to gain some momentum and pulled ahead 15-10 with big plays over the net. Both teams exchanged blows again later in the set, with the Wolverines sustaining the more consistent play to maintain a 23-16 lead, and eventually took the set 25-16.
Wellington jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the second set. Cole Linnus was a key factor at the net for the Wolverines’ offensive burst early on in the second set. Ryder Roscigno was equally instrumental in setting the ball for the scores for Wellington, who rolled through the second set 26-8, holding the Wildcats to a single-digit score.
The Wolverines collected the third set, 25-13, which staked the team the victory. Adam Aqua provided aggressive play at the net, with Roscigno setting up the kills for Aqua. Royal Palm Beach’s Joeh Joseph had back-to-back kills in the third, but it was not enough for the Wildcats to take the match into a fourth set.
Royal Palm Beach traveled to the Oxbridge Academy on Tuesday for a match, but results were not available by press time.
ABOVE: Wellington’s Lucas Amano-Cyril keeps the ball in play for the Wolverines offense.
