Happy day, league crown for Hemet after win over Paloma

By Landon Negri 10:15 P.M.APRIL 25, 2013

MENIFEE — The Hemet High boys volleyball team had itself a festive time Thursday evening, and perhaps that started with its head coach.

Bob Jensen isn’t your typical stressed-out and overly intense head coach.

He kind of roams his side of the court, hands in his pocket and a smile on his face.

“He’s a chill dude and a fun guy to be around,” junior setter Jacob Hill said.

On Thursday, Jensen’s team put a Sunbelt League championship on ice after defeating a tough, host Paloma Valley team in straight games, 29-27, 25-18, 25-16.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 9 in Division III in the CIF Southern Section, has a game remaining at home against Heritage and a two-game lead over the Wildcats (17-8, 7-2).

Turning back a game Paloma team, which has also spent part of this season ranked in the top 10, was a huge achievement for the Bulldogs.

“I told my kids that they’ll want it more than us,” Jen sen said. “So it came down to, ‘Do you want to share the league championship or be the league champions?’

“They stepped up today.”

Junior outside hitter Jared Walsh led Hemet with 13 kills, but Hill was the force at the end as he had three kills in Hemet’s final five points, including the match winner.

The hard-hitting Hill, who stand 6-foot-3, finished with seven kills.

“Jacob is what holds this team together,” Jensen said.

The match turned in the first game, when Paloma Valley was within two points of a victory with a 23-16 lead.

But Hemet closed the game on a 13-4 run, sparked by two kills each from Walsh and senior outside hitter Dylan Vashaw, who finished with nine.

The Bulldogs controlled the match the rest of the way.

“I think it was just our intensity picking up,” Hill said. “Our passing got better, our distribution got better, and our hitters finished.”

For Paloma Valley, a four-match winning streak snapped. The Wildcats’ last loss was in four games at Hemet on April 9.

Junior Justin Ramos led the Wildcats with eight kills, and senior Cody Spetz had seven. But coach Katie Bradley lamented the fact that her team didn’t more balance in its attacking game.

“We didn’t swing as much as we should have,” she said. “so I think part of it was they were quick and we were scrambling to play defense.”