Vars boys’ volleyball ends season with an intense and emotional championship
By Raine Hu and Giping Huang
The varsity boys’ volleyball team never expected to be playing against the Lincoln Mustangs on May 18 at Lincoln High School for the title of All-City champions. The team’s confidence went up and down as they lost and won against multiple teams throughout the season. They won against the Burton Pumas, who were second in the league at the time the Cards played against them. However, they also lost to the Galileo Lions and the Lincoln Mustangs. Besides the roller coaster in confidence, the team’s foundation was unstable as players were new to the team and were not used to playing with each other yet.
By the end of the season, though, the team knew each other like a family. “We came together and we all got better, together,” Chen said. “We wouldn’t have made it to champs if everyone didn’t put in so much work.”
Despite the Cardinals falling short 3–0 against the Mustangs, it was never clear who was going to win throughout the game.
The team started off the first two sets rocky. Despite the score gap between the two teams drawing closer during the second set, the Cards still failed to claim one. They lost the first two sets, 25–11 and 25–15, respectively.
Going from the second set to the third, the Cards came back stronger and appeared ready to win the third set. “During [the third set], everything became better: our passing, our setting, our hitting, making less errors, just everything,” sophomore setter Bryant Zhu said.
At one point in the game, the tension in the air was heightened when the teams were tied 23–23. Both sides were not backing down. “I thought that we had to win the set for sure,” Zhu said.
No ball drops. First to five. Two points in a row
The Cards were racing against the Mustangs to be the first to reach 25 points and win the set. At this monumental moment with everything at stake, it is no wonder that the team would be cautious and want to win. “No ball drops. First to five. Two points in a row,” junior libero Brandon Chen said.
Despite all their efforts and desires, the boys fell short. They lost the third set, 27–25, thus ending the game. “I think we could have put up a better fight,” senior captain and outside hitter Benjamin Zee said.
The Cardinals competed at the Division III of the NorCal boys volleyball championship against the California Crosspoint on May 22 at Chabot College and lost 3–0.
