With the crowd cheering in the background, the MVHS seniors stepped on to the floor for the last home game of the season. Key blocks and scrappy defense helped the varsity boys volleyball team (29-4) during their last home game of the season against Lynbrook High School on May 4, defeating them 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21). According to senior Edward Wang, the crowd that showed up to support the seniors contributed greatly to keeping their energy high and spirits up.
In the first set, the possession of the serve shifted 24 times between the two teams, as both the Matadors and the Vikings frequently had issues with serving and hitting balls in court. Multiple times, the Matadors were able to dig for and reach the ball but ended up making errors in actually getting it over the net. However, Lynbrook trailed behind 14-10 when they called their first timeout of the set, unable to block strong kills by seniors Jeffery Zhang, Brandon Tiongson and sophomore Ryan Manley, while the Matadors’ defense saved many of the Vikings’ surprise tips and rolls. More consistent serving streaks toward the second half of the set by Zhang, Manley and senior Alex Balus kept MVHS in the lead until the set ended 25-18.
“We were full strength; we had everybody,” coach Paul Chiu said. “We were missing a few guys last time [we played Lynbrook]; we had a few guys hurt. [This time] we played a more normal lineup.”
The second set started with a kill by senior Avery Hua to sideout for the Matadors, followed by longer rallies and tied scores. Zhang, Hua and junior Cory Low put up multiple blocks that prevented Lynbrook from gaining points. The Matadors had a few ball handling errors such as lifts and center-line violations, but their quick hustle contributed to their lead. Low surprised the opponent by using tips and rolls that fell in the middle of the Vikings’ court short of their back row defense, making the score 18-12. Balus and Manley made three and four kills respectively, ending the set 25-18.
Toward the middle of the third set, Lynbrook pulled ahead for the first time in the match 9-10 due to their increasingly effective blocks as well as the Matadors’ serving and ball handling errors. However, once MVHS regained possession of the serve, they were able to capitalize on the opportunity to tie the game at 11-11 and continue pulling ahead similarly to the previous two sets. Kills by Manley, Balus and junior Derrick Chiu were aimed at both sidelines and back corners — weak spots in Lynbrook’s defense.The match ended with Zhang’s tip to the Vikings’ side to secure the third set by a score of 25-21.
The Matadors ended the season with one of the best records in MVHS history at 29-4.
“The team pushed themselves to get better,” Chiu said. “Some played club [volleyball]; others came to the off-season workouts. It was a commitment from the entire team. I got comments from the alumni parents telling me how all the kids improved so much and that’s what made a big difference.”
