On the evening of March 21, 2025, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys volleyball team geared up to face off against their cross-town rival Ventura High School (Ventura). In a hard fought battle that highlighted the back-and-forth characteristics of volleyball, the Dragons ultimately fell short in a long five-set match, 2-3.
The opening set started with Ventura taking an early lead, but the Dragons quickly responded with powerful hits from Jack Marshall ‘25 and Elijah Haigh ‘25, bringing the score to 3-1. Haigh continued his dominance at the net with a series of kills and an ace, helping Foothill Tech establish a 7-4 advantage.
However, Ventura’s efforts kept them in the game, and they fought back to tie the set at 11-11. Despite plays by Curren Wiggins ‘26 and Styles Haley-Kettler ‘28, Ventura’s steady offense outpaced the Dragons, closing out the set 21-25.
Foothill Tech, determined to respond, roared back in the second set with renewed energy. Marshall’s precision placement, and a chaotic yet effective rally, gave the Dragons an early 3-0 lead. Wiggins’ one-hit kill and Haigh’s powerful spikes kept the momentum going. The Dragons maintained their composure despite Ventura tying the score several times.
Late in the set, Haigh and Marshall’s blocking skills shut down Ventura’s attack, and a monstrous spike by Marshall sealed the set, 25-21 for the Dragons, evening the match at 1-1.
Riding the momentum, the Dragons took commanding control of the third set. Marshall’s opening spike, followed by a series of blocks, gave Foothill Tech a 6-3 lead. Haigh’s precision kills and Max Benedik’s ‘28 powerful spikes widened the gap, putting the Dragons ahead 20-15. With Ventura unable to recover, Marshall’s key block and a final spike by Haigh clinched the set 25-18, giving Foothill Tech the lead 2-1.
Ethan Abara ‘27 stated, “I was really hoping to help the offense and let my hitters be free … I wish I lived up to that a little more but I’m happy that I was able to perform how I did.”
Ventura, however, was not ready to back down as the fourth set became a battle of endurance and mental toughness. The set was nothing short of competitive with each team remaining within four points of each over. After falling behind three points, Foothill Tech staged a competitive rally, bringing the score to 23-24. Despite the late surge, Ventura edged out the set 23-25, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Tyler Nelsen ‘25 commented, “In that fourth set we really just slowed down, we let off the gas, and that’s a problem we are working on as a team.”
In the final set, fatigue and small errors began to take a toll on the Dragons. After falling behind 3-7, Foothill Tech called a timeout in an effort to regroup. Marshall and Haigh’s hitting kept the Dragons within striking distance, but Ventura’s consistency gave them the edge. A block by Marshall briefly sparked hope at 10-14, but Ventura closed the match with a 15-10 win.
Head Coach Benedik stated, “Volleyball has its ups and downs. Sometimes those ups and downs are whole games and sometimes they’re just a couple points. That one game we won pretty easily, I felt we maintained a higher level of play … and to continue that higher level of play we need to work on our mental toughness and positive energy on the court.”
As they look ahead to their next match against Dunn School (Dunn) on April 1, the Dragons remain determined to bounce back from this loss and toward victory.
