Drunkenmiller, Diamondbacks rally to down Mountain Lions

Nearly three months ago, Desert Oasis middle blocker Sean Drunkenmiller had a habit of tripping just stepping onto the court.

The junior, dubbed “Captain Coordination” by his volleyball teammates, steered his team closer to the playoffs Tuesday.

Drunkenmiller supplied a crucial five blocks and five kills and Zach Bobenhausen had 15 kills, eight digs and three blocks as the Diamondbacks rallied for a 15-25, 14-25, 31-29, 25-21, 15-13 win at Sierra Vista in a key Southwest League matchup.

“We’ve been trying (to establish the net), but our biggest problem is that we’ve been telling (Bobenhausen) for three years and (Drunkenmiller) for two and a half months to get up and get over the net,” Desert Oasis coach Ross Dyer said. “They’re plenty big, but they’re standing straight up and the ball goes straight down. But finally they’re waking up; it just took them awhile. They’re learning, but they’re young.”

The win puts Desert Oasis (14-6, 6-5 Southwest) in the driver’s seat for the final two weeks of the regular season, with matches against Spring Valley, Durango and Western remaining.

For Dyer, a playoff berth would be a fitting reward for a team that has been one of the “most fun” in more than 30 years of coaching.

“This whole team, we have no problems with them, personnel-wise,” Dyer said. “They like each other, they get along, and we don’t have to jump on them over things. They come to practice and work hard. They do all the right stuff. It’s a pleasure, this late in my career, to have a team like that.”

Sierra Vista jumped to a 2-0 lead after playing a nearly flawless first set, as Khrumm Fahim and Cameron Carlson combined for 10 of the Mountain Lions’ 15 kills with only two hitting errors.

Fahim finished with a match-high 17 kills to go along with four blocks, and Carlson supplied 11 kills for Sierra Vista, which fell to 6-9 overall and 6-5 in league play.

Bobenhausen had six kills and a block that set up set point in the third, when Desert Oasis rallied to seven ties en route to the 31-29 win.

After that, Drunkenmiller led a ferocious comeback for the Diamondbacks from the front line.

Drunkenmiller capped off a 10-1 run to start the fourth set as Desert Oasis never let Sierra Vista get within fewer than two points.

Cameron Mich’l added 10 kills and three blocks down the stretch and Zarvian supplied 36 assists, four kills and two blocks for the Diamondbacks. Danny Eslinger contributed 29 digs for Desert Oasis.

Preston Miranda had 34 assists and three blocks for the Mountain Lions, who end the regular season by playing Clark, Spring Valley and Bishop Gorman.