Coming off a 3-0 win over Harker High School on Wednesday, March 16, the Varsity Boys Volleyball team defeated Cupertino High School 3-0 in its third league game on Friday, March 18, bringing its league record to 3-0. In league play so far, MVHS has won nine sets and lost none; however, every set in this game was close, with scores of 26-24, 29-27 and 25-23 respectively.

Senior and libero Sudhit Rao attributes the team’s ability to stay calm and convert each close set into a victory to the fact that many of the players also participate in club volleyball, so they are accustomed to playing in high pressure situations while maintaining their composure. 

“We have to play smart and we did just that,” Rao said. “Our outside hitters were going against the weaker opponents on the block and our middles were just doing whatever they had to do. They just hit the ball high.”

Junior Kenneth Shui agrees with Rao and specifically mentions that junior and middle Jesse Li played particularly well during the game — every time Li hit, CHS couldn’t “do anything to stop it.” Shui also emphasizes that MVHS’s focus amidst the tight scores allowed them to succeed, especially in the last few moments of the game.

Similarly, Rao notes that the team’s focused mindset and consistent playing style allowed them to stay on top of their game and defeat CHS despite having a small team consisting of 10 people.

“Our team is not the biggest,” Rao said. “That’s not always a bad thing. But we’re used to being down and we know how to keep our composure and stay clean throughout the entire game, playing simple volleyball and that’s how we get back. It was just a great game.”

Gallery • 6 Photos

Anna Jerolimov

Senior Sudhit Rao receives a hit from CHS.