Varsity Boys Volleyball defeated The Harker School 3-1 in a competitive, high-energy match on Thursday, May 1. After dropping a tightly-contested first set 28-26, the Matadors captured the second set 25-21. MVHS continued this momentum, narrowly clinching the third set 26-24 before closing out the match with a 25-22 victory in the fourth.
The shift in momentum started with impactful plays during the second set, according to senior and defensive specialist Charlie Jiang. Jiang says this fueled the team’s victory by increasing the energy of the players.
“We started winning pretty hard in the second set, and we had some bench players come in and make some big plays,” Jiang said. “ When you’re down and making a comeback, when you have momentum, and when your entire team is yelling, that’s what brings energy.”
Varsity Head Coach Paul Chiu attributes the victory to the team’s focused training throughout the season. He says that this allowed the team to resolve the inconsistency that has “plagued the team, as seasoned players have had to take on new positions and less experienced players are forced to step up.
Despite some room for improvement, Jiang says the team showcased improved ball control and serve receive in this game. Likewise, Chiu says that focused practice on blocking and their consistent defensive plays, led to a good performance by the team.
“The team did a good job blocking, which is something we’ve been working on,” Chiu said. “Our defense was stellar, especially in the back. The team rallied and stuck with it, and we just played more consistent volleyball.”
Overall, Jiang says the team was able to apply their experience acquired from both previous games and practices.
“We came in with the same thing every single time, and we came in focused better than normal,” Jiang said. “Throughout our season, we’ve been performing much better and winning more. This game was a much better example of what we’re able to do as a team.”
