Warriors 7-6 prior to starting boys volleyball league play

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

A 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 home victory March 13 over Calvin Christian gave Fallbrook High School’s boys volleyball team a 7-6 season record prior to the Warriors’ first league match.

“They’re doing okay. They probably can be doing better,” said Fallbrook coach Chip Patterson.

The 11 players on this year’s varsity include six who were on the 2022 squad whose overall record was 17-15 including a loss in the first round of the CIF Division playoffs . They had a 7-3 Valley League mark which was worth a share of second place in the standings. Four of last year’s starters return to the 2023 Warriors. Five of the 2023 players are seniors.

Fallbrook’s 2023 season began with the Feb. 24-25 Sweetwater Tournament. The Warriors’ Feb. 24 pool play matches were a two-game loss to Otay Ranch, a three-game win over O’Farrell Charter, and a two-game victory against Monarch Academy. Fallbrook’s Feb. 25 matches were three-game losses to Steele Canyon and Santana followed by a two-game triumph in the contest with Orange Glen.

Tournament matches end when a team wins two sets. Dual matches require a team to win three games. Fallbrook’s first dual match of the year, Feb. 28 at El Camino, had a 25-16, 25-13, 25-16 score in the Wildcats’ favor. The Warriors followed that loss with two road victories; the March 1 match at Victory Christian Academy had 25-12, 25-15, and 25-18 sets while the March 6 competition at Southwest (South San Diego) had a 25-21, 27-25, 25-23 result.

The Del Lago Academy team spent part of March 8 in the Fallbrook gym. The Warriors began with 25-20 and 25-14 triumphs. “We had them two sets to none, and we lost three straight sets,” Patterson said.

The Firebirds countered with 25-16, 25-22, and 25-12 wins to prevail in the match. “It comes in a landslide,” Patterson said.

“Sometimes they play down to their opponent’s level and then they’ll find themselves in trouble,” Patterson said. “They had to find out the hard way that we can’t play down to other people’s levels.”

The loss to Del Lago was followed by a March 9 home victory over Escondido Charter. Fallbrook won the first game 25-17. The second game was a 26-24 Fallbrook triumph. The White Tigers avoided a sweep with a 25-20 win in the third set. Fallbrook secured the match with a 25-20 victory in game four.

Mission Hills is in Division II for CIF playoff purposes. Fallbrook is in Division III. Mission Hills traveled to Fallbrook for a March 10 match and returned home with a 25-10, 25-16, 25-20 win.

“They’re learning lessons,” Patterson said.

“It is going to take some doing,” Patterson said. “We’ve got a long ways to go.”

This year’s Valley League consists of Fallbrook, Escondido, Mission Vista, Oceanside, San Pasqual, and Valley Center. Fallbrook will conclude league and regular season play April 28 at Escondido.

“I think they will do better,” Patterson said. “We’ll see.”