Tuesday, April 22, the NC varsity men’s volleyball team (3-7) faced the Harrison High School Hoyas with fierceness and determination, unfortunately losing after two overtimes 1-3. Putnam High School, first on the schedule against NC, was cancelled at the last minute for undefined reasons. Thus, instead of playing to win two sets out of three against each team, NC played for three out of five against Harrison alone.
The Hoyas began the first set with two spikes. Following these shots, NC quickly recovered to a point. After securing six additional points, Harrison received a flag due to hitting the ball out of bounds. Once in play again, junior setter and right side hitter, Liam Kimani (15) set the ball for junior middle hitter and outside hitter, Maxwell Thuo (7) — gaining them a point. Subsequently, the confidence in the Hoyas crashed as they accumulated several fouls, resulting in a Hoya timeout call at 16-7. After the timeout, the Hoyas regained a sense of confidence, resulting in the Warriors taking several defensive casualties and losing the first set 16-25.
“[My emotions] were everywhere; I’m just trying to figure out what I should do as the ball comes over the net. [The game in general] is very exciting, even if we win or lose — I’m happy I get to play with my team. Today means a lot; I got into volleyball recently, probably within the past year, and it’s definitely made me a better person and more athletic,” sophomore right side hitter John Stansell (4) said.
Returning after a time-out in between sets, NC obtained the first point as senior outside hitter Jayden Joseph (6) hit the ball on the edge of the boundary line. The ball encountered constant motion during the first half of the second set, as both the Warriors and Hoyas equally experienced mistakes and scores. After passing the ball across the net several times, the Hoyas attempted to execute a strike as junior right side hitter Keith Kamau (8) and Thou performed a powerful block, resulting in celebratory cheers from the spectators. NC quickly settled into a viscous groove, executing five strikes and securing a Warrior win in the second set 25-23.
The third set began on tense but equal footing, due to the draw in the previous two periods of the game. NC played with a strong force, quickly taking the lead at 8-4. After the Hoyas served the ball again, Kamau spiked to the opposing side. The Hoyas received the ball, but could not keep it in play, allowing NC to gain a point. Afterwards, while the Hoyas ensued with a surge of strength and advancing 10-8, the Warriors responded with chants to encourage their teammates, including, “How high is the net? Too high. How high is the net? Sky high,” in jest of their opponents.
Further into the set, NC continued to experience minor mistakes, putting the Hoyas in the lead during the second half, updating the score to 11-14. During the following play, magnet junior middle hitter Collin Thomson (1) sent a powerful spike to the Hoyas, who in return stabilized the ball and sent it back to Thomson. Quickly after, Thomson attempted to redo the move, but unfortunately, hit the ball out of bounds. Further into the set, the scores tied at 24-24, creating a chance for the Warriors to secure victory. Despite the Warriors’ determination, Joseph and senior libero Dang Nguyen’s (13) respective plays became stuck in the net, resulting in the Hoya’s third set win at 25-27.
Advancing into the fourth set, NC remained determined to obtain a win, which would allow them to move on to the final set. The two teams remained neck and neck, equally scoring points until Thomson broke the tension with a powerful strike, resulting in the team’s energetic cheers and reaching a score of 19-17. The Hoya’s following plays resulted in several mistakes, including missing shots and passes, failing to guard the entire court and hitting the ball into the net, which resulted in a boosted score for NC to 22-17. As the win seemed in reach for the Warriors, four miscalculations cost NC the lead: serving into the net, missing two passes and hitting the ball out of bounds and tying once again 22-22. Soon after, the Hoyas hit the ball into the net twice, causing the score to lean in the Warriors’ favor 24-22. The advantage did not last long as NC mis-hit several passes, resulting in a need to chase the ball off court twice, 25-26. In the final play, the Warriors received the ball, but with the last touch, Thuo received a net violation. The game ended with a Hoya win 25-27.
“I really wanted to win with my team. It’s our senior night — I wanted to help my other seniors go out tonight with a win. I love [my team] to death; we have a lot of potential, we just need to capitalize on it. We are really talented for a group of kids who just started volleyball — most of our team has barely played for less than a year and they’re already competing with really decent teams. I’m proud of them for that. I really hope they continue playing volleyball after high school,” Nguyen said.
Preceding the unfortunate loss, the NC Warriors raised their spirits by celebrating senior night with cake and gift baskets. Although a simple affair, sportsmanship and love for the six seniors manifested as a palpable sweetness in the air as they congratulated them on their impending graduation, signaling an ever-nearing end to their time together.
The Chant thanks the seniors for their dedication to NC and wishes them luck for their future endeavors.
