Lancers prove they can hang with the best in Ramstein

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – What a difference a couple of weeks makes.

After losing to Ramstein in Wiesbaden on Sept. 19, the Lakenheath boys volleyball team not only hung with the Royals during a doubleheader at Ramstein High School on Saturday but also managed to get the better of the hosts once.

The Lancers won the opening match 25-16, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15 on Saturday morning to hand Ramstein its first loss of the campaign. In the afternoon contest, the Royals came back from a big deficit in the final frame of a five-set thriller for a 25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-13 victory.

The results gave both teams something to take going forward. Lakenheath’s main man Jaylon Gatewood, who amassed 31 kills in the second match, said the Lancers (3-5, 3-5) displayed more self-belief than in the previous meeting.

“Last game, there was a lot of serves mistakes, not a lot of confidence,” Gatewood said. “Today, I feel like everyone was working together and just having a lot of confidence with the team.”

To show how much the tables turned, Ramstein’s James Yost emphasized how important it was to avoid the sweep at home with his team’s late rally.

“We really, really needed that (win),” Yost said. “Losing to them this morning felt horrible in our house.”

While the Lancers seemed in control for much of the morning matchup, the pendulum swing swung back and forth throughout the afternoon matchup. The two teams combined for runs of six or more points four times, and it wasn’t odd to see a nearly double-digit lead evaporate into thin air.

Take the final two sets, for example.

In the fourth, Ramstein (5-1, 5-1) led 17-10 before Lakenheath went on a 10-2 stretch in which Gatewood had two kills and Talen Francisco recorded a pair of aces to take the lead.

The Royals produced a mini run of their own, and at 24-22 had two chances to seal the match. But the Lancers rattled off the final four points, clinched by an Ayden Cruz dink to force the fifth game.

“No matter what the score is, no matter what’s going on, our heads are still in the game, we’re still there to win,” Lancer coach Landon Blackwell said. “It doesn’t matter how far down we are, we’re still playing every point like it’s the last one.”

In the fifth set, it was the Royals’ turn.

Trailing 10-3, they finished the contest on a 12-3 run. Over four points, Yost had a block-point and two kills to make it 13-13, and Ramstein got the final two points for the victory.

“When we have energy, I don’t think anybody can beat us, but when we get down on ourselves, it’s really hard to come back,” said Yost, who totaled 11 kills in the late matchup.

“We had so much (energy) coming back from (10-3). That’s hard to do, but when we get the momentum coming back, we can’t be stopped.”

Blackwell reiterated that same sentiment for his ball club.

“We know Ramstein is one of the better teams, and we gave them a run for their money,” he said. “I don’t see any team that we can’t compete with.”

Lakenheath's Jaylon Gatewood leaps to spike a ball as Ramstein's James Yost, far right, jumps to block it during a volleyball match on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's James Yost tips a ball over Lakenheath's Keegan Beyer, left, and Christian Agrillo during a volleyball match on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath's Ayden Cruz leaps at the net to defend a spike by Ramstein's Ronald Wiate during a volleyball match on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Reed Arnold sets the ball during a volleyball match against Lakenheath on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Girls

Ramstein was without three starters in its opening match against Lakenheath on Saturday morning. Among the missing was senior Ella Yost, who spent the morning at Landstuhl Medical Center as part of a course requirement.

Yet the Royals didn’t seem to miss a beat. They swept the Lancers in straight sets 25-13, 25-14, 25-19.

And with Yost available in the last matchup against Kaiserslautern, Ramstein hit another gear, defeating its crosstown rival 25-12, 25-12, 25-17.

“We’ve become a team where I can put anybody in for any position,” Royal coach Kandel Baxter said. “They’re gelling really well, and they’re just going to get better and I’m really excited to see what happens.”

Against the Raiders (3-6, 3-5), the Royals (6-0, 6-0) spread the love offensively. Yost paced the squad with eight kills, and senior middle hitter Aurora Lewis had five. Senior outside hitter Devinity Taylor scored three kills in the second set alone and finished with four in the match.

Ramstein showcased such offensive prowess without more advanced tactics, which Taylor and Baxter hinted are on the way.

“We have so many talented girls who just know what to do when the time is right,” Taylor said. “We all kind of balanced each other out in a way that we could remain cohesive while we were playing.”

In the day’s other match, Lakenheath bounced back with a straight-sets victory over Kaiserslautern 25-21, 25-20, 25-17.

The Lancers (3-5, 3-5) really shined serving. They produced 16 aces as a team, with setter Haedyn Hicks leading the way at five. Kylie Davila chipped in with four.

Hicks mentioned the Lancers were motivated following the opening loss to Ramstein, especially focusing on serving.

“We were like, ‘We can play better than this,’ and that’s exactly what we did,” she said. “We showed up and showed out against K-Town.”

Kaiserslautern coach Ashley Riker said she and her players still must work on the mental side of things ahead of the European tournament at the end of the month.

“Right now, we’re on that rollercoaster of we’re up and we’re down and digging ourselves out of those pits is proving difficult,” Riker said. “But when we’re on it, we’re clearly on it.”

Lakenheath's Miguelle Lamigo bumps the ball while Lancer libero Natalie Cooks watches during a volleyball match against Ramstein on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein outside hitter Devinity Taylor spikes the ball as Lakenheath's Aminah Nix jumps on defense during a volleyball match on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein outside hitter Ella Yost spikes the ball against Kaiserslautern's Jaiyana Jacobs during a volleyball match on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's Natasha Rivera digs a ball as libero Nalah Pene backs her up during a volleyball match against Lakenheath on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath's Haedyn Hicks serves during a volleyball match against Kaiserslautern on Oct. 3, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)