On Friday, March 27, boys’ volleyball defeated rival San Mateo 3-1 on home turf. Yet the Panthers faced a difficult battle, as they lost their starting setter Rowan Chiang to injury midway through the game, forcing libero Xander Hakes to step up.

Even prior to Chiang’s injury, head coach David Newman said the team was scrambling to deal with missing players and positional changes.

“There were some really great things about today’s game, and then there were some of our old problems coming back to haunt us,” Newman said.

While the team confidently swept San Mateo in the first set, Newsman said he noticed a major lack of energy heading into the second set.

“We just didn’t have the sort of leadership step up from an energy standpoint that we needed,” Newman said. “We have all the skills we need to have. It really does come down to playing with a lot of energy.”

During the second set, Chiang injured his calf coming down from a block, forcing him to step off the court. He said he felt disappointed to sit out, considering the team’s strong start.

“I was pretty bummed out, because I thought I felt like, in warm-ups, we were doing really well in terms of hitting and then serving,” Chiang said. “So I was really fired up for this game, and it was just kind of a bummer.”

With the setter out, the team struggled to attack, as one of their leaders was not on the floor. Still, they continued to fight, but their momentum from the first set was lost.

“I think Rowan’s injury got us a little nervous, discombobulated,” Newman said.

With this new change, Hakes stepped in to take Chiang’s place, playing an unfamiliar position. He said it forced the team to play differently, but also provided an opportunity for growth.

“I was a little nervous originally, just for the front row part, because I had never gone front row in a real game, but as it went on, I kind of got the hang of it,” Hakes said.

While the Panthers adjusted to their new lineup, San Mateo took back a set, bringing the score to 2-1. Although Burlingame continued to fight back, panic was starting to build up on the Panthers’ side. However, the Panthers won the next set, bringing the score to 2-2 and forcing a final set. Chiang, who was watching from the sidelines, said his worry dissipated in the last set.

“It took a little while, but I just feel like that’s kind of like our team trend. So in the end, I think we adapted right on time,” Chiang said.

Throughout the final set, San Mateo put up a strong fight, but the Panthers built up a comeback. As the Bearcats began to make more mistakes, Burlingame’s hitters adjusted to their new lineups and gained the lead. The Panthers ended the game on a 5-0 run, bringing the score from 20-19 to 25-19 and securing a victory. Chiang said watching his team play was just as important as being there alongside them.

“I’ll just have to say I’m pretty proud of the team, even though I wasn’t in it. I’m just proud to have [that] experience,” Chiang said.