Volleyball Recap: Center Falls Despite Big Games from Julio Inguanzo Lopez and Ethan Lee

Center was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bear River Bruins. The Cougars were not able to make up for their defeat to the Bruins from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.

While Center had to settle for second, they sure made a game of it, scoring at least 18 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-18, 25-19, 24-26, 25-19.

Julio Inguanzo Lopez

Assists

03/19/25 vs Bear River	29
03/17/25 @ Lincoln	31
03/13/25 vs Antelope	14
03/12/25 vs Mira Loma	30
03/10/25 vs Wheatland	16
+ 4 more games

Despite the loss, Center had strong showings from Ethan Lee, who had 14 digs, and Julio Inguanzo Lopez, who had ten digs, five aces, and one block. Inguanzo Lopez is also on a roll when it comes to assists, as he's now posted 14 or more in each of the last nine games he's played. Joshua Arceo also deserves some recognition as he had his first blocks of the season.

They weren't the only good server: Center was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 13 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least six aces in four consecutive games.

Center's defeat dropped their record down to 3-8. As for Bear River, they pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season.

Looking ahead, Center will take on Rosemont in a tournament on Saturday. Center is facing Rosemont at the right time seeing as Rosemont is stuck on a five-game losing streak. As for Bear River, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Wheatland at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.