As far as high school sports go, boys’ volleyball does not often get the spotlight, but
inside the SDHS gym, it feels anything but small. It feels like a team that has something to prove
to the rest of the school and to one another.
Coach of the boys volleyball team, Greiner, states,
“Volleyball is an amazing sport, I think it’s still underrated, and that people should come check
out of some matches, they’ll be surprised.” For the team, part of the goal is not just to win matches but to draw more attention to the sport to get students to experience the atmosphere and excitement that comes with every match.
For many players, the best part of the program is the bonds you make with your teammates along the way. Practices can be competitive, but volleyball as a sport relies heavily on teamwork,communication, and trust both on and off the court. Senior athlete Bosten McClay states, “Being part of this team means showing up to practice, being in touch with all my teammates, and building bonds with them where I’m not afraid to shoot them a text.” For the cavers boys volleyball team this season has come with its fair share of ups and downs, with each team being a new challenge. From starting off their first tournament losing and ending up in the nickel bracket, to coming back and bringing home the trophy from the nickel bracket.
That turnaround became more than just a win for the team, but for many players, it
showed that their efforts in practice and in game would not go fruitless. This point in the season
affected the majority of the team in an unforgettable way, shown when varsity libero, Oslo
Trevino states “my favorite memory from this season is winning the sweetwater tournament at
the beginning of the season.
” While it’s true they brought back a trophy for San Diego High and
the volleyball program, the players are rewarded just as much as the program through their
growth as players and as students. Varsity captain Anthony Agoh states “I have grown a lot not
just as a player but as a person who understands the importance of being observant and
adaptive.” That growth was reflected not only in players as individuals, but the team as a whole
throughout tournaments and league.
As the season progressed they continued to have their ups and downs, for example
losing at their second tournament in the quarter finals to Mar Vista. But still coming back in their
last match before league, sweeping Mar Vista three to zero
despite being underdogs. Varsity volleyball player, Adrian Vega
states “you always need to get up after you get knocked down
because there are 25 points in each set so there is a lot of times
you’re going to get beat or you’re gonna mess up, but you just
always get up and persevere.
” Which is later shown in their
league matches, most notably versus Hoover High School. Early
on in the league during their third match they played Hoover and
lost zero to three despite their efforts. But through hard work at practice, studying game film,
and persevering even when it got tough they were able to pull out a three to zero sweep against
Hoover on their senior night securing themselves a position in playoffs. Varsity setter Luca
Chang shares how he believes the volleyball team gets in their head and has trouble digging
themselves out, shown when he states “Volleyball is very back and forth and so if you’re getting
down on yourself after losing one or two points in a row, you will lose
the game.
” This statement is portrayed clearly in the boys volleyball
team’s second match of playoffs where they face off against Hoover
at their home. While being a close match Hoover closed it out in the
fifth set beating the San Diego High boys volleyball team three to
two. While it was a rough defeat Coach Greiner finds the best in a
tough situation as he states “Our final talk after Hoover might have
been my favorite moment, simply because I saw how much it
mattered to everybody.
”
While the boys volleyball team’s season held both challenges and highlights, both
players and coaches say the experience was more than just whether we won or lost games.
The growth of the players and relationships they have with one another in which they will bring
into next season carries far more value than the scores from this season.
