Volleyball Game Preview: Berkeley Yellowjackets vs. San Leandro Pirates

The Berkeley Yellowjackets will take on the San Leandro Pirates at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Berkeley lost 3-0 to Castro Valley on Wednesday. The Yellowjackets have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

The defeat didn't mean the game wasn't competitive: Castro Valley scored at least 17 points in every set. The final score came out to 25-21, 25-19, 25-17.

Meanwhile, San Leandro waltzed into their match on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. Everything went their way against the Highlanders as they made off with a 3-0 victory.

San Leandro not only won, but also showed off some consistency: they kept Piedmont between 14 and 17 points across their sets. The match finished with set scores of 25-17, 25-14, 25-14.

Berkeley better focus on containing Eric Stowe and Collin Peav as the pair were huge in San Leandro's win. Stowe had nine digs and four aces, while Peav had seven aces and two blocks. That's the most aces Peav has posted since back in April of 2024. Devon Gin also deserves some recognition as he had his first kill of the season.

San Leandro was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 20 aces. They are a perfect 9-0 when they serve at least ten aces.

San Leandro's win bumped their record up to 16-8. As for Berkeley, their loss dropped their record down to 7-12.

Berkeley suffered a grim 3-0 defeat to San Leandro in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Yellowjackets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.