MJ Ocampo understands that it will take time for his Rodriguez High School boys volleyball team to fully come together, but he’s already impressed by the maturity shown by his first-year program.
“We started from scratch,” Ocampo said. “We have some club players, but we also have a few who have never played before. I’m incredibly proud of my boys and the hard work they’ve put in.”
This year, boys volleyball joined the spring schedule across Solano County, with new programs launched at Rodriguez, Fairfield, Armijo, Vacaville, and Will C. Wood. Vanden has been running a successful program for five years, and Vacaville Christian also has an established team. On Wednesday night, Rodriguez had their first opportunity to face their new city rival. Vanden demonstrated their experience with a precise performance, securing a 25-13, 25-8, 25-22 victory. However, Rodriguez fought hard, especially in the third set when Vanden made rotational changes and fielded more substitutes.
“They knew Vanden had an established program, but they didn’t come in scared,” Ocampo said. “We came in ready to play our game. The team has grown so much in terms of chemistry. They’re learning how to play together and really bonding well.”
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While official statistics weren’t available after the match, a hand tally showed that Ifeanyi Onwauzombe led Vanden with eight kills. Kyle Tabut contributed six service aces, and Vincent Mercado added five. Setter Tavas Spencer orchestrated the Vikings’ offense, setting up his teammates for kills and occasionally scoring with soft drop shots.
Rodriguez’s Jayden Leonor-Taylor was strong up front, recording three kills and three points with softer shots. Mason Gravier, Brayden Reyes, Cadem Jumamoy, Jared Dominguez, and Benjamin Villegas also contributed kills for the Mustangs, while Gabriel Holandez had an ace serve.
The Mustangs showed moments of excellence, but consistency will come as they continue to play together. Vanden, on the other hand, has strengthened their program with an offseason training schedule and a tough non-league slate against top-tier opponents. The Vikings were the Northern California Division IV runners-up last season and are aiming for another playoff run.
“It’s nice to play all these games close to home,” said Vanden head coach Dalston Spencer. “Two years ago, we had to travel to Bear River (Grass Valley) and Golden Sierra (Garden Valley) for league games. Boys volleyball continues to grow, and teams like Vacaville and Rodriguez will become very competitive in the next few years.”
Rodriguez, which has won two out of five matches, will next play at Pioneer, another established program, on Monday at 6 p.m.
Vanden improved to an 11-5 overall record and remains undefeated in the Monticello Empire League at 6-0. After a tournament on Saturday, the Vikings will host Sacramento on Monday at 6.
“We’ve got a big tournament this week, and we need to serve better,” Spencer said. “We can’t afford to miss 12 serves like we did tonight.”
