Varsity Boys Volleyball defeated Mountain View High School 3-0 on its senior night Friday, May 3. Though the first set started off neck-and-neck, the Matadors pulled ahead to seize a resounding victory, winning 25-15.
The Matadors consistently forced Mountain View HS to take time-outs throughout the three sets, extending their lead to take both the second and third sets and achieve a swift win. In the beginning of each set, Mountain View HS managed to stay even, but the Matadors’ consistent play allowed them to always secure the lead.
Though the match point was contested by Mountain View HS, the Matadors didn’t let this derail them and were able to score once more to get the win.
Senior and outside hitter Henry Hu, who had 10 kills in the match, believes that the team’s strong performance was a result of both consistent defense and offense. Similarly, senior and libero Rahul Pothineni finds that although he may not have personally played his best game, the team played with rigorous determination and passion to achieve a dominant victory.
“The game was amazing, and I think everyone played really well,” Pothineni said. “They played their hearts out on a personal level. So although it’s sad that it’s my last game, it’s also exciting because we have not only a great set of juniors coming up, but we also have CCS coming up.”
During the senior night ceremony at the beginning of the game, Head Coach Paul Chiu spoke about the unique qualities and experiences of the seniors. Team members stood by to honor the seniors with bouquets of flowers and necklaces made of candy given to each player. Hu, who scored the game-finisher, says that his favorite experience was winning the CCS championship in 2022. He hopes to replicate that success this year and find ways to continue supporting the team during its practice, even after graduation.
“I could teach my volleyball skills to pass down to the team,” Hu said. “I hope to come back in the future and help them practice in the summers and during our open gyms, which is when we have the longest time to practice. That’s where my seniors helped me.”
Junior and setter Praneel Shah had two aces during the match and was pleased with the team’s performance in its game. Shah has high hopes for the team for CCS and believes that the Matadors have a chance at winning. Chiu agrees, and he hopes to lead the team to improve its core skills and make a strong run at CCS.
“They just need to be more consistent in order to make a deep CCS run, but I’m happy with the performance,” Chiu said. “They made quick work of a team they should make quick work of.”
