Christopher Pena, 5th Engineer Bn., left, and William Jones, DENTAC, both attempt to spike the ball during a Conference B intramural volleyball game April 11.
Story and photos by Brittany Carlson
Assistant editor
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The 5th Engineer Battalion tasted its first Conference B volleyball victory April 11, defeating the Dental Activity team in a tie-breaking match, 26-30, 30-16 and 30-28 at Davidson Fitness Center.
With one more week left to go in the intramural volleyball season, the 5th Engineers hope the morale-boosting win will help them continue to play well in the Commander’s Cup tournament next week.
Assistant editor
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The 5th Engineer Battalion tasted its first Conference B volleyball victory April 11, defeating the Dental Activity team in a tie-breaking match, 26-30, 30-16 and 30-28 at Davidson Fitness Center.
With one more week left to go in the intramural volleyball season, the 5th Engineers hope the morale-boosting win will help them continue to play well in the Commander’s Cup tournament next week.
So far, the short, five-week intramural season has been “intense,” according Rob Steinmacher, recreational aid for Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and this match was no different.
Part of the reason for this is that the 13 teams remaining in the league are very evenly matched, he said. “It’s pretty even throughout.”
As if to prove his point, in the 5th Engineer Bn. and DENTAC match, both teams stayed neck-and-neck in the first game until the last few points.
In the second game, the engineers pulled ahead for wider margin of victory, 30-16.
However, the final game was another close match. Although the engineers led by 10 at one point in the game, DENTAC caught up and tied them 28-28, before the engineers nabbed two unanswered points to end the game.
“It was a definitely a nail-biter. The first game, they beat us. We won the second game, and in the third game we kind of just rallied up and knew we had a duty to pull out the win,” said Christopher Pena, 5th Engineer Bn. player.
“We were all just eager to play our first win, so now we’ve got that momentum going, so next week when we play our next game, we (hope to) keep the momentum going and keep winning,” he added.
1st Lt. Amaro Moreno, 5th Engineer Bn. team captain, said although the team won another game this season by forfeit, this is the “first legitimate game we’ve won.”
“All of the games (this season) have been really close, but we always ended up losing. Honestly, the team has been getting better progressively. The first game, we weren’t really a team — it was more like individuals who wanted to play.”
“Now, by bumping, setting and spiking, we control the ball,” he said.
Despite the loss, the DENTAC team was in high spirits as they prepared for their second game of the evening, against the 795th Military Police Battalion.
“We had fun, and we came out as a unit and we had a lot of participation, that’s the key thing,” said Maria Debenedictis, one of DENTAC’s team captains.
Debenedictis has been playing on the DENTAC team for two years, but has played volleyball since she was in high school. She said participating in intramural sports as a unit impacts the team, both on the volleyball court and in the office.
“I think it builds team, it builds morale,” she said. “We get to know each other on kind of like a different basis.”
Sgt. 1st Class Brenda Soliz, the DENTAC first sergeant and member of the DENTAC team, seconded that thought.
“We’re such a close team. We’ve been together in the unit for about two years — I think that’s what makes it,” she said. “I like to be with my Soldiers in the unit; just cohesion and esprit de corps — I’m really big on that.”
Other Conference B scores
In other Conference B games April 11:
Staff Judge Advocate defeated the Navy Detachment in straight games;
The 795th MP Bn. defeated DENTAC in straight games;
The 31st Engineer Battalion picked up a forfeit win.
With one week remaining in the season, SJA maintained the lead in Conference B with a 5-0 record, followed by the 795th MPs at 4-1.
Conference A scores
In Conference A games played April 10:
The U.S. Marine Corps Detachment defeated the 84th Chemical Battalion in straight games;
The Jarheads defeated the Medical Department Activity 2 team in straight games;
The 92nd Military Police Battalion defeated MEDDAC in straight games;
The Jarheads defeated Garrison Command, two games to one.
With one week remaining, the Marine Det. leads Conference A with a 5-0 record, followed by the 84th Chemical Battalion, at 4-2.
Part of the reason for this is that the 13 teams remaining in the league are very evenly matched, he said. “It’s pretty even throughout.”
As if to prove his point, in the 5th Engineer Bn. and DENTAC match, both teams stayed neck-and-neck in the first game until the last few points.
In the second game, the engineers pulled ahead for wider margin of victory, 30-16.
Maria Resendez, 5th Engineer Bn. player, bumps the ball against DENTAC on April 11.
“It was a definitely a nail-biter. The first game, they beat us. We won the second game, and in the third game we kind of just rallied up and knew we had a duty to pull out the win,” said Christopher Pena, 5th Engineer Bn. player.
“We were all just eager to play our first win, so now we’ve got that momentum going, so next week when we play our next game, we (hope to) keep the momentum going and keep winning,” he added.
1st Lt. Amaro Moreno, 5th Engineer Bn. team captain, said although the team won another game this season by forfeit, this is the “first legitimate game we’ve won.”
“All of the games (this season) have been really close, but we always ended up losing. Honestly, the team has been getting better progressively. The first game, we weren’t really a team — it was more like individuals who wanted to play.”
“Now, by bumping, setting and spiking, we control the ball,” he said.
Despite the loss, the DENTAC team was in high spirits as they prepared for their second game of the evening, against the 795th Military Police Battalion.
“We had fun, and we came out as a unit and we had a lot of participation, that’s the key thing,” said Maria Debenedictis, one of DENTAC’s team captains.
Debenedictis has been playing on the DENTAC team for two years, but has played volleyball since she was in high school. She said participating in intramural sports as a unit impacts the team, both on the volleyball court and in the office.
“I think it builds team, it builds morale,” she said. “We get to know each other on kind of like a different basis.”
Sgt. 1st Class Brenda Soliz, the DENTAC first sergeant and member of the DENTAC team, seconded that thought.
“We’re such a close team. We’ve been together in the unit for about two years — I think that’s what makes it,” she said. “I like to be with my Soldiers in the unit; just cohesion and esprit de corps — I’m really big on that.”
Other Conference B scores
In other Conference B games April 11:
Staff Judge Advocate defeated the Navy Detachment in straight games;
The 795th MP Bn. defeated DENTAC in straight games;
The 31st Engineer Battalion picked up a forfeit win.
With one week remaining in the season, SJA maintained the lead in Conference B with a 5-0 record, followed by the 795th MPs at 4-1.
Conference A scores
In Conference A games played April 10:
The U.S. Marine Corps Detachment defeated the 84th Chemical Battalion in straight games;
The Jarheads defeated the Medical Department Activity 2 team in straight games;
The 92nd Military Police Battalion defeated MEDDAC in straight games;
The Jarheads defeated Garrison Command, two games to one.
With one week remaining, the Marine Det. leads Conference A with a 5-0 record, followed by the 84th Chemical Battalion, at 4-2.