The THHS boys volleyball team conducted a game on April 10 against Martin Van Buren’s volleyball team. It was a clean sweep for THHS boys, who managed to beat the opposing team by 36 points overall. This win ranks THHS as second overall in Queens behind Benjamin Cardozo, who have so far been undefeated. Martin Van Buren is in last place, having lost consistently in all their games.
The reason for Van Buren’s poor showing this season is due to inexperience. As observed by THHS senior captain Michael Jazgarski, most of the Van Buren’s junior varsity basketball team played on the volleyball team. As explained by one Van Buren player, “We’re just new to the sport. We just have to practice more.” He explained, “I was forced to join the team by my [junior varsity] basketball coach because I needed to boost my IQ.”
The THHS team started off the game with nice serves by senior Nathaniel Cheng and also by senior Edward Lu. Junior Caleb Hong helped the team immensely throughout the game, delivering one block, two digs, eight service points, one ace, and two kills. Senior captain Nathaniel Cheng led the team in assists while senior Brian Shtab, using his height to full advantage to spike, had the most successful kills. They beat the opposing team 25-4.
Rookies had a chance to play during the second half of the game against Martin Van Buren. At his very first volleyball game, sophomore rookie Brandon Na made four assists during that game. Senior Samuel Schrader also helped deliver five aces, two kills, two service points, and two digs. Junior Jason Nieh also applied his skills on the court to deliver two kills, one service point, and two digs. The game ended in a win for THHS, 25-10.
Regarding their performance, the team members saw ways to brush up on their skills. Both Michael and Brandon wanted to improve in passing the ball to their teammates. Brandon also wants to improve his communication skills to work with his teammates more effectively. As for Julian, he wanted to improve in his “positioning skills.”
The THHS team members, unlike their other counterparts, were very supportive of each other, celebrating each point with a signature cheer, patting each other’s back, or giving one another a simple high-five. Sophomore Julian Delarosa said, “Everyone’s encouraging each other and helping each of us in terms of confidence.”
