So amidst the tournament buzz, the Matadors faced Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory at 3 p.m. and won 2-0. The Matadors generated strong attacks throughout this game, with consistent hits by junior Nathan Mallipeddi, freshman Jason Chen and junior Alex Li. However, the sets closed with scores a little too close for comfort with SHCP only five points behind for both sets. SHCP did not present very much competition when it came to height and force — the Matadors just lacked communication, losing points to unforced errors.

The first set began a little shaky for the Matadors. They struggled to close the block and SHCP frequently placed the ball before the ten-foot line. After getting the side out 4-4, MVHS picked up speed and pulled ahead five points to 9-4. After that, they kept the lead.

More and more spectators populated the crowd, defensive parents yelled at the student referees to fix the score and group of Lynbrook High School students hooted at every kill. The enthusiasm on the court carried to the fans and through the second set. With this support, the Matadors won both sets and moved on to the championship game against Leigh High School.