His elbows already bruised by the hard wooden floor, Cooper Herndon ‘20 hesitates to dive for the incoming ball. He knows he can save it, but he does not want to sacrifice his body again to make a play. With a sudden instinct, he quickly dives for the ball, making his elbows bloody, but he successfully saves the play, allowing Jesuit to score.
This was the scene at the Jesuit Volleyball Team’s first ever home game in Walsh Gym at Jesuit on April 16. With JV winning in straight sets and Varsity winning 3-1, the volleyball team showed great promise after a great home crowd cheered them to victory.
JV
After a great game by Nahum Najera ‘22, Cameron Pham ‘20, and Connor Jacquart ‘20, the JV Volleyball team displayed their dominance after winning both sets 25-15 and 25-12, respectively.
Jacquart was impressed with the team’s performance in their first home game. “We did pretty well.. we played really well together. We had good communication and we kept good chemistry throughout the match.”
Although he did not play due to injury, Wilson Rasco ‘20 was also impressed by the JV team’s performance. “I liked JV’s intensity. We came out, we played a phenomenal game, we took it in two games, and we were ahead the whole time. We just kept our composure and kept our control. It was really fun.”
Varsity
To finish the night, the Varsity team beat Allen 3 sets to 1. In all the matches, great performances by Michael Turner ‘20, Sam Levis ‘21, and Cooper Herndon ‘20 propelled the Rangers to victory. Jesuit won the first two sets 25-18 and 25-22 but surrendered the third set 17-25. After regrouping, the Rangers came storming back in a 25-19 win that sealed the game.
Herndon commented on how much work the team has put in to prepare for their first home game. “We put in a lot of effort and worked hard and we pulled it out.”
Turner felt similarly: “We’ve been practicing for awhile since the beginning of the year so it’s been really good to come here, play our first home game, and come out with a win.”
Members of the team appreciated the crowd that showed up to cheer them on.
“I loved it. It really helped us out because we felt the energy,” commented Herndon.
Coach Ian Fryers also enjoyed the crowd. “We came out really hot and the home crowd really helped us out. We played really well when we limited our mistakes and unforced errors. The more energy we had, the better off we were.”
Looking Forward
Sam Levis ‘21 believed it was the team’s determination that got them the win. “I think the game of volleyball is all about motivation, and in the end, we just had more motivation than the other team. We had a great effort, but there are still things to work on.”
Levis continued, “We are excited to play Allen again in the future and the rest of the teams.”
Ben Rodenbaugh ‘20 is also ready for the rest of the season. “We look to bring[ing] home the W.”
While the team does not have an official schedule yet, they do have more games this season.
Be sure to check back to The Roundup so you do not miss any coverage of the Jesuit Volleyball Team!
