The last time MVHS competed against rival Cupertino HS, the box score said it all. MVHS had notched a 3-0 win at CHS on March 10 on their way to conquering the rest of the league, and didn’t look like they had any chance to slow down. Despite CHS losing by a margin of 10 points per set however, when the Matadors hosted CHS on March 29, it was an entirely different game. CHS came to MVHS with a vengeance, and MVHS was playing their first league game without senior captain Prathik Rao. On Wednesday, March 29, it looked like the Matadors were on their way to losing their perch at the top of the league. CHS went on a tear in the first set, fighting past a Matador defense to take the set 25-19.

That’s when the sleeping giant awoke. MVHS hitters sophomore Rajas Habbu and senior Yash Hegde opened up against a CHS defense and MVHS rallied off a series of kills late in the second set. MVHS ultimately went on to win the game 3-1, with set scores 19-25, 25-27, 25-12 and 25-18. Take a look at some photos from the game below.

MVHS will play Saratoga HS on April 20, at 6:45 in the MVHS gym

Additional Reporting by Sannidhi Menon