On Monday, April 22nd, Boys Volleyball hosted their Senior Night in the Puma Gym, concluding their regular season. The Pumas played their rival school, Valley Academy of Arts and Science, and despite giving it their best, were ultimately beaten by the Vipers.
Despite not having the best win to loss ratio, with Varsity having 3 : 15, the boys worked and played hard this season. Under the coaching of Coach Hannah Garcia, many students who had never picked up a volleyball prior to tryouts were transformed into amazing volleyball players on the court. Many of these players can be seen spiking the balls and collecting points for their team, pushing closer and closer towards winning each game. It is also important to note the changes the team experienced throughout the season, having started out as a larger team, but eventually coming down to only 18 players by the end of the season, forcing the JV team to dissolve and become part of the Varsity team. However, the boys worked hard and pushed even through this rollercoaster of a season, evident by the last few games of the season, in which the Pumas brought the games out to 5 sets nearly every time, rallying up an excited crowd every night. The Pumas efforts are also apparent in the fact that despite their losses, they made it to CIF Playoffs. They will play their first playoff game on Monday, April 29th.
Additionally, that Monday was the Boys’ Senior Night. The 2024 team was home to 12 Seniors, who were all sent off with heartfelt messages, notes, and gifts from their coaches and fellow teammates. The Seniors who were celebrated on this night were : Elio Avila, Dylan Gutierrez, Tiago Sire, Ian Ramos, Neil Alcantara, Jayden Cunanan-Samaco, Shenod Lasz, Marcus Castro, Jeremiah Nettles, Joshua Orozco, Nathen Hernandez, and Bryce De Guia. The Seniors felt very emotional ending off their regular season. Tiago Sire, Varsity team captain, who’s been on the team for three years, says, “It feels amazing to have played with the people I played with, strengthening our connection off and on the court. The people I have played with through my high school career have shaped up the player I am today. I feel a sense of sadness after this current season as I’m a senior and it’s my last year so I have to part ways with this team. Though we didn’t achieve as much as I had hoped, it’s okay, we got playoffs coming up and we intend to do our absolute best.”
Congratulations to the senior players and best of luck with the playoffs and your post high school career!
