The boys’ varsity volleyball team kicked off their season with a tough loss in the opening game, losing every set against Churchill. Although the sets were close, with each being within seven points, Churchill  edged the team out. This was the first game in over a year for the team and they had just started to practice three weeks ago. Last year, the team only played one scrimmage before the season got canceled.

The team has a limited attendance in the stands for their games to follow COVID-19 procedures. Only two guests are allowed per player and the full capacity is less than 50%.

The team boasts three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. This makes the volleyball team one of the youngest varsity teams, with half of the team consisting of underclassmen. Only one player did not play on the varsity team last year as  everyone else returned. This added experience gave the team optimism heading into the second game as they knew that losing one game wouldn’t end the season.

On May 11 the team faced Whitman at home for their second game of the season. They got out to a hot start, winning the first set 25-14. The team got key contributions from a multitude of assists by sophomore Jared Su and a variety of kills by senior Matthew Hou. The team continued the hot start with a strong second-set victory, winning 25-17, and finishing strong with a 25-16 final set, winning the match and sending Whitman home.

Sophomore Jared Su said, “I feel like against Churchill we just didn’t play well and were a little rusty and I felt like everyone was a little off. I feel like we bounced back well against Whitman though. It felt like we were playing well and had all the momentum in the final two sets and I think that when we went on a run they had no chance.”

This game was a lot different than the Churchill game because the team dominated from the opening serve. With the team gaining a significant lead at most points of the match, they could control the game and dictate the pace, making it easier to get points as they played by their style.

Everyone contributed, especially sophomore Vishal Jain, who had a great game and said, “I thought that this game was a lot different than the Churchill game as we were firing on all cylinders and I hope that we can continue to play at this level for our future games. I hope that we can finish off the season with some wins and put the Churchill game behind us.”