Firestone is a perfect 3-0 against Steele since May of 2023 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Falcons will take on the Comets at 6:00 p.m.
Firestone is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Walsh Jesuit just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Warriors, falling 3-0.
The defeat didn't mean the game wasn't competitive: Walsh Jesuit scored at least 17 points in every set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-17, 25-20.
Tala Paing
| 05/09/25 vs Walsh Jesuit | 18 |
| 05/01/25 vs St. Edward | 35 |
| 04/26/25 vs Bard Early College | 12 |
| 04/26/25 vs St. Francis DeSales | 13 |
| 04/22/25 @ Louisville | 14 |
| + 2 more games |
The losing side was boosted by Tala Paing, who had four digs and one block. He has been hot, having also posted 12 or more assists the last seven times he's played.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Steele rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They skirted past the Black Tigers 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Comets have posted since April 10th.
It was an exciting match in which no team won back-to-back sets, but at the end of the day Steele got the one that really mattered. The match finished with set scores of 25-21, 17-25, 29-27, 26-28, 15-8.
Steele's win came from a few key players Firestone will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joe Penano, who had 37 assists and nine digs. Those 37 assists gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jake Penano, who had 19 digs.
Steele now has a winning record of 12-11. As for Firestone, their loss dropped their record down to 15-7.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's game: Firestone hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 4.5 blocks per game. However, it's not like Steele struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.2 blocks. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went Firestone's way against Steele in their previous meeting back in March, as Firestone made off with a 3-0 win. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Comets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
