Volleyball Game Preview: Encina Bulldogs vs. Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning Fire Wolves

Encina has gone a perfect 6-0 against Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. Encina will venture away from home to challenge Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning at 6:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Encina is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 3-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Encina actually scored more points across those five sets (96-95), but sadly they still had to settle for second. The final score came out to 18-25, 25-22, 25-19, 12-25, 15-5.

Meanwhile, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning didn't have quite enough to beat Bear River on Wednesday and fell 3-2. The Fire Wolves have struggled against the Bruins recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning took Bear River into a fifth set but they suffered a heartbreaking five-point loss. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10.

Encina's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 12-3. As for Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-9.

Encina beat Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning 3-1 in their previous meeting last Monday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Encina since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.