Sierra Vista limits mistakes to top Desert Oasis in three sets

In straight sets, the Mountain Lions took down Desert Oasis 25-21, 30-28, 26-24 to secure their third straight win.

The critical moment for both teams came in the second set. Sierra Vista took the first game without much trouble and was on its way to grabbing a two-set advantage when the Diamondbacks made a furious comeback.

The Mountain Lions led 22-18, but Desert Oasis went on a 6-2 run to tie it at 24. After trading a few more points, Sierra Vista junior Chris McCoy ended the set on consecutive kills.

“I think it could have been a game-changer had we not pulled that out,” Sierra Vista coach Camille McComas said. “To be leading most of the time and blow that lead and have them come back to win would have been tough, but I like tonight that it was close. Both teams played scrappy.”

McCoy led Sierra Vista (9-7, 3-1 Southwest League) with 15 kills and three digs. Teammate senior Lerone Gibson added nine kills for the Mountain Lions.

Between the second and third games, McComas said the plan was to keep the emotions down after a hard-fought set.

“We needed to be more patient. We understood what they were running,” McComas said. “It’s self-evident, so we just had to take care of our side.”

In the third, the Diamondbacks again forced the set to go past 25 points. But Sierra Vista scored timelypoints to win the match.

“I enjoyed that, I want the competition,” McComas said. “I think both coaches should walk away feeling good. It was a good showing on both sides. …

“Next time we see them the’re going to be tough as heck. There are no easy wins here.”

David Toole led Desert Oasis (5-11, 1-2) with 12 kills, six digs and four blocks. Senior Bryson Sadama added 19 digs and three assists, and Tyler Sadama had six kills, 10 assists and two aces for the Diamondbacks.

Contact reporter Bill Slane at bslane@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4559. Follow @bill_slane on Twitter.