Cam High’s boys varsity volleyball team lost to the Moorpark Musketeers 1-3 in a home league conference game last Tuesday. The loss brings Cam High down to a 18-8 (1-4 league record) on the season, and they are now tied for last with Moorpark in the Coastal Canyon League.

“It was a very tough loss for us. The game was very close for most of the game, and it shouldn’t have been. Playing against Moorpark, we know that we should have beaten them,” said middle blocker and junior Erik Riis-Vestergaard. Cam High had previously won against Moorpark 3-1 on March 22.

The Scorpions came into the game with a 18-7 overall record and a 1-3 league record. Moorpark entered with an 8-11 overall record and also had a 1-3 league record, standing last in the Coastal Canyon League.

While Cam High scored the first point of the game, Moorpark retaliated shortly after, thus beginning a close battle. Seniors Brad Kooker and Pepe Zinkewich dominated most of the match, countering with multiple hits. Cam High pulled away late after scoring three points in a row. Zinkewich finished off the Musketeers 25-22 with a kill, a point made by a hit hitting the ground without any touches, and concluded the match at 1-0.

Again, the Scorps started off the second match strong, rapidly bringing in the first three points. Moorpark responded just as quickly by scoring the next three points as well as an ace and a couple of kills. The Scorps struggled to catch up but could not cut into the Musketeer’s four-point lead. Moorpark finished the match victorious, ending with a score of 20-25 and tying the game.

The third match mirrored the first; Cam High was the first to score, rallying back and forth in a tense contest. During the match, Moorpark made two dives, aggressively denying Cam High the lead. The score was tied 21-21 heading into the final stretch of the match, but Moorpark just managed to pull ahead and win the game 26-28, a triumph reaped from the back-to-back serve errors made by the Scorps.

The Scorps started strong once more, scoring the first point and continuing with a two-point lead, but again, the Musketeers were quick to wrestle control. Cam High let their lead slip after being up 13-11, and Moorpark outscored the Scorpions to take the lead at 14-15. A glimmer of hope surfaced when the Scorps mustered three points in a row, tying the game at 24 apiece. But, alas, Cam High gave Moorpark the lead back due to another serving error by the Scorpions. Moorpark ended the game with a kill, and Cam High lost 24-26.

“We played poorly, and we’re still feeling down from our loss against Oak Park. We’re just going to have to stay focused and have the right people on the floor at the right time,” said outside hitter Daniel Wetter, junior.