The Golden Ruins (High School Series #2)

Chapter 26

"Chi-chi is now serving!" the commentator announced.

Anthony, their libero, expertly passed the ball. Their setter, Matt, quickly set the ball towards Kaito. It happened so fast. Before we could blink, the ball was a blur, slammed viciously against our side of the court.

"Ang bilis no'n, ah," Skye whispered under his breath, unable to block the hit.

We knew that the enemy team would be challenging, but we didn't anticipate it being this difficult to adapt to them. We were used to being the offensive team, not the other way around.

Kleo's breath hitched when another hit from Kaito went flying across his wrist. Even our libero was struggling to pass the ball properly.

Baviera - 22, Ilagan - 25

The first set ended, and the team huddled together, trying to catch their breath and refocus.

"They're forcing us into a defensive position," Gio observed, his brow furrowed. "We're playing right into their hands. We can't let them dictate the pace of the game."

"Napansin ko rin na kay Ash lagi nakadirekta 'yong set," Kleo chimed in. "Ipokus niyo lang 'yong blocks sa kaniya. Kahit hindi niyo ma-block out, mahawakan niyo lang para humina 'yong lipad ng bola. Mas magiging madali kong ma-papass 'yon."

Cal closed the lid of his water bottle, his expression serious and commanding. "May plano ako."

The team nodded, each player absorbing their role in the new plan. The referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the second set. The game was far from over, and our team was prepared to fight back with everything they had.

Kleo's strategy was proving effective. With well-timed soft blocks, the trajectory of Ilagan's attacks weakened, allowing him to set up perfect passes for the team.

When it was Cal's turn to serve, he aimed directly at Anthony. Although he managed to pass it, Baviera was prepared. Skye and Van synchronized their jump, forming a solid block against Kaito's powerful spike and sending the ball back to Ilagan's side.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and our team's morale was boosted. It was a small victory, but it showed that we could adapt and push back.

Baviera - 19, Ilagan - 19

I glanced at the scoreboard, my heart racing as the numbers showed a tense deuce. Baviera had to win this set to stay in the match.

Cal took a deep breath and directed his serve straight at Anthony once more. Skye and Zhef anticipated Kaito's next move, leaping up to block his impending attack.

But Kaito, cool and calculating, waited until the last moment then swung with incredible force just as the blockers began their descent.

Gio dove, but the ball slipped through his reach.

Kaito remained stoic, showing no emotion as Skye shot him a glare for snatching yet another crucial point away.

"Bakit tinututok ni Cal 'yong serve niya kay Anthony?" one spectator murmured to another, shaking their head in disbelief. "It's like he's helping Ilagan set up their best hitter."

Whispers began to circulate among the spectators, puzzled by Cal's strategy of repeatedly targeting Ilagan's skilled libero.

They couldn't understand why Cal persisted in this approach when it seemed to only benefit Ilagan by providing consistent, clean passes to their setter, thereby setting up Kaito for powerful and accurate attacks.

"You'd think they'd adjust after seeing it doesn't work," the commentator remarked, watching the game unfold with a critical eye. "Anthony's handling those serves too well, and it's feeding right into Ilagan's offense."