The Falcons got tripped up in their pursuit of a Big 8 Conference title on Wednesday night in Modesto, falling to the Pirates in 4 sets, 25-14, 18-25, 13-25, 24-26. Head coach Matt Torrez was concerned heading into the match, having seen his team get a huge win on Friday at Delta to move into a first place tie, and with a showdown against Sierra this Friday as an added distraction. "I don't think the team was focused on the task at hand," remarked Torrez. "We played well in the first set, but things really fell apart after that." The loss leaves the Falcons one game behind both Sierra and American River and tied for third with Delta. The Falcons can still win a share of the Big 8 title, but it will be an uphill battle. They will need to win against both Sierra and ARC (Nov 7), as well as their three other remaining matches.
