ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - During the regular season, the Jesuit Marauders dominated the Delta League with a 12-0 record, handing two losses to the runner-up with a 10-2 record to the Pleasant Grove Eagles. 

In both matches, the Eagles were able to only take one set in their favor for a combined 6-1 result. 

The fact of the matter is: Come playoffs, anything can happen. 

The two best teams pinned up against each other for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Boys Volleyball Championship: the No. 1 seed Marauders vs. the No. 2 seed Eagles. Given the two losses in league play, David vs. Goliath. 

Why wouldn’t the Marauders be confident? If they only lost one set throughout their entire playoff run on top of the two wins over the Eagles during the regular season.

Eagles head coach Brian Contreras, who started the volleyball program 10 years ago at Pleasant Grove, said the Eagles studied the previous two matchups through film. 

“We studied film over and over again and we tried to pick on their tendencies,” Contreras said. “We told the kids, ‘This is what we saw’ and it’s all we can do and they executed tonight.” 

The Eagles upset the Marauders in a match that needed five sets to decide a champion, going 25-23 for the Eagles, 25-14 Eagles, 25-19 Marauders, 25-18 Marauders and finally 16-14 to the section champion Eagles. 

Thanks to the Eagles’ serving, they were able to jump ahead 2-0 early and win the section championship, Contreras said. 

“Serving is the biggest thing we had certain issues with all year long,” said Contreras. 

Contreras called back on the away game at Jesuit where they were up 12-3 in a set and ended up losing due to missing serves. However, in this match-up, he said this was the key toward the win. 

A key player in this match-up and throughout the regular season was senior Tin Le, who leads the team in serving aces. Le also leads the team in digs, kills and receptions, according to MaxPreps.  

The momentum gained by the Eagles early on fueled the crowd's energy with parents, students, friends and family supporting them at the neutral match-up site of Cosumnes River College’s gym. 

This is something that Contreras was left speechless with given how difficult it was to have support during the first years of the program. 

“I started this program 10 years ago and we’d be lucky to get 10 kids plus a parent or two,” Contreras said. “Now our half of the gym is completely full every single night; they are super loud and a huge part of this team.” 

Contreras built this program from the ground up, Pleasant Grove Athletic Director Scott Gradin said after the match. He called it a great accomplishment and praised Contreras, whose players love him. 

“On my bench, I have six guys who are alumni, and they were with me during those rough years and I don’t know if I’m doing something right but they keep coming back and it’s a blessing,” an emotional Contreras said. 

The ability to turn this program around, Contreras said, he attributes to the parents having their kids playing competitively year-round.

“This particular group knew what they had to do because I can only do so much, so it’s the parents and their involvement with their children having them play year-round makes my job easier,” Contreras said. “It’s turned my program into what it is now.” 

On top of describing this playoff run as a blessing, Contreras was at a loss for words when asked how he’ll remember this year. 

The Eagles were to face the Buchanan Bears on May 14 in the first round of the CIF NorCal Boys Volleyball Championships.