In their fourth league game, the Palo Alto High School boys’ volleyball team (10-4) swept the Milpitas Trojans(9-5) 3-0, Monday at home.

After winning its last game with Nevada Union and remaining undefeated, Paly was confident going into this game, according to Viking sophomore Ean Hsuing.

“Our mindset was pretty optimistic coming into the game,” Hsuing said. “We did a lot of training this weekend, and the team also went to a tournament with a higher level of play.”

According to head coach Darryl Chan, the Vikings emphasized not playing down to their opponents’ level and focusing on the game’s mental aspects.  

“You can’t lose your focus, and you have to understand that we don’t want to play down to our opponent; we can play at a much higher level,” Chan said. “Right now, we’re learning how to develop that mental mindset.”

According to Trojan head coach Naomi Lacuzong, the Trojans must start the game with more energy. 

“In the first set, we just started and went from there, but the boys need to be more aggressive out of the gate,” Lacuzong said.

The Vikings started the game off strong, with consecutive points from senior outside hitter Giacomo Resmini and senior opposite hitter Arun Tamura with some powerful striking, giving them an 8-3 advantage. 

The Trojans struggled with defense and were unable to match the Vikings’ offensive pace. A spike from Resmini won the first set for the Vikings, 25-16. 

The Vikings’ victory in the first set appeared to light a fire beneath the Trojans, who came out scorching hot offensively, taking a 4-1 lead in the second set. However, their defense continued to plague them, giving up four consecutive points and losing their early lead. Their offense, led by junior Alonzo Davis, kept the set close, but the Vikings ultimately prevailed and snatched the second set, 25-21. 

According to sophomore Ian Young, the Vikings did a good job receiving the Trojans’ serves and had an overall consistent performance.

“We did pretty well on hitting today, and also serve and receive,” Viking sophomore Ian Young said. “We did a lot of training, and then the team also went to a tournament this past weekend.”

Milpitas fought hard in the third set, managing to take a 9-5 lead after three consecutive points and timely serving errors by the Vikings. However, the Vikings’ resilience shone through, with Paly tying the score at 19-19. After defensive stops by Resmini and sophomore Lincoln Dixon, the Vikings won the match, 25-22.

According to Chan, maintaining mental focus was crucial for his team’s performance.

“There are times when you should beat a team easily, and there are times you have to focus,” Chan said. “We made way too many hitting errors and serving errors.”

Milpitas junior setter Victor Bond said his team improved during the game.

“We cleaned up on service and receive, which was a lot better than the first set,” Bond said. “We just kept on fighting for every point.” 

The Vikings (10-4) are set to play against the Santa Clara Bruins (4-6) at 6:45 p.m. April 2, at Palo Alto High School.