GUSTINE — In a match defined by grit and momentum swings, the Gustine Reds boys volleyball team battled through a five‑set marathon Wednesday night to edge the Delhi Hawks in a dramatic home victory.

The opening round set the tone for the night. Delhi surged ahead 6–1 before Gustine settled in, chipping away until taking a 15–14 lead midway through. The teams traded points down the stretch, but the Reds’ late execution carried them to a 25–22 win.

Delhi answered in the second set, holding a narrow advantage through most of the frame. Gustine briefly moved ahead 16–15, but the Hawks regained control and closed out a 25–19 win despite a Reds timeout at 20–17.

Gustine responded with one of its strongest stretches of the night in the third. The Reds jumped out to a 6–2 lead, and No. 15 Max Haro delivered a key service run that pushed the margin to 9–3. Delhi clawed back to within 16–15, but Gustine held firm to take the set 25–20 and a 2–1 match lead.

The fourth set was the tightest of the night, with ties at 7–7, 23–23 and 24–24 as neither team budged. Gustine came within a point of closing out the match, but Delhi scraped together the final two points for a 26–24 win to force a decisive fifth set.

With the match on the line, the Reds delivered their most dominant stretch of the evening. After an early 4–4 tie, Gustine erupted on an 11–1 run, using sharp defense and aggressive attacking to overwhelm the Hawks and seal the match with a 15–5 finish.

Head coach Maldonado said the back‑and‑forth battle was exactly what the team expected.

“We knew it was going to be a back‑and‑forth game; luckily, we came out on the winning end,” Maldonado said. He praised the team’s hustle and resilience, noting that their hard work ultimately made the difference in the final set.