What a season the boys’ volleyball team have had! The season was filled with ups and downs, but mostly ups of course. Sadly, as the saying goes, all good must come to an end. The boys’ volleyball team season was decent. Improvement is always necessary even in the most successful teams. The boys finished off the season with a record of 5-0-11. However, all that matters is the effort and determination that the boys put into their season.

Effort and determination was especially important during the season in comeback wins. According to Ndubuisi A., the team was losing a game by a sizable margin and that during a huddle, they vowed to overcome this near-defeat. Then, they began to catch up to the opposing team. They worked together in order to achieve this feat. Their determination and their ability to work together allowed them to garner this victory. This just shows how important it is for teams to work together and how their determination will ensue victory. When teams work as a whole, they can do anything, they can overcome anything, but if for whatever season they do not work to together or someone was left out of the plan, then failure is the outcome. However, the boys did not do this in this game, they regained their footing and managed to secure a victory. Their determination also played a key role in their victory, because if you were to put your mind to something and dedicate yourself to it, then you can do whatever it is you want to do. Basically what I am trying to say is that, no matter how hard any situation might be, no matter how lost or hopeless you might feel, remember this: if you dedicate yourself and work together with other people, then you can escape whatever hole it is you are in.

Well enough “inspirational” talk, let’s move on and see what some of the players have to reflect upon about this season. When Abdulkarim A. was asked how the team had progressed through the season, he stated that “[the team] started off practicing and playing as individuals, only worrying about [themselves], but [they] quickly learned to play as a team.” What a touching quote, this clearly shows how much the team has progressed: starting off as a group of boys and ending off as one, as a team, a band brothers. When people are asked whether or not they would change something or do something differently, their usual answer is “yes”, but to Abdulkarim A., when he was asked whether or not he wished he would have done something differently about the latest volleyball volleyball season, he passionately stated that he “wouldn’t have done anything differently. It was a great season and [Abdulkarim A. is] sad that it’s over.” Touching words. Despite the outcome of the season, he stays true to his feelings and love for the team. That is what loyalty is about, staying close to something no matter the situation or outcome.

After hearing all of these touching responses, I had to ask him the million dollar question: Was he going to rejoin the team next year? Abdulkarim A.  promptly stated that he “will definitely join next year for [his] last season.” What a touching tale; he started off with the team since freshman year, now that my friends is loyalty and determination, staying with the team through the highs and the lows. Abdulkarim A. had one more thing to say though: he hopes that they make playoffs next year. This request is very plausible, all the boys would need to do is continue to work hard and practice and if they do all of this then they can make it into the playoffs.

The next person I interviewed was Omer B. When Omer B. was asked how far his skills have developed since the beginning of the season, he stated that they have “developed greatly.” Initially, he “couldn’t serve”, but now of course, he can and appears to be a machine, as stated in the morning announcements. Omer B. also stated that his “hits and blocks have seriously improved.” He also “wished [he] would have played more time outside of practice to further improve [his] skills.” This shows how determined Omer B. is to his team and how determined he is to improve his faults. This is a dedicated player and once his senior year comes around, he will captain the team into greatness.

Now it is  time to talk about the big man himself, Coach Severns. When Coach Severns was asked whether or not he would change his curriculum for the next season, he promptly responded by saying that he “would keep the same thing going and that [he] expects most of the team to return for next year’s season.” By next year most of the players that played this season will be seasoned and they will be up for the challenge. When Coach Severns was asked who the most difficult team they faced this season was, he stated it was “Vistamar and Pacific Lutheran.” However, judging by the interviews I had with some of the players, I believe that next year, they will have no problem against these teams. They will overcome the faults they dealt with this season because they’re human and that’s what humans do. We learn from our mistakes and improve. The boys may not have had the best of seasons, but it will serve as an experience, as a guiding stone for their future, and if they learn from this season, they will be successful. As for the seniors Xavier D. and Jacob R., this marks the end of their high school volleyball careers as they move forward onto bigger things.