Over 800 million people play volleyball worldwide, proving its popularity as a sport. Current with this statistic, the boys volleyball program at the high school has a strong presence. It has also continued to gain popularity and new members, especially after a 2021 season many of them say they are very proud of.

The team is currently preparing for the spring season, which begins at the end of March. After a successful season last year, the team is optimistic about what they will accomplish this season. They are excited about the season and passionate about the sport itself.

Despite losing a handful of talented seniors, captain and senior Fletcher Poon said he’s confident about the new talent that has been added to the team.

“I’m feeling very hopeful for the season because I know that we have a lot of young guys who will be very good. If they tap into that this season, it’s going to be fun,” Poon said.

Captain Nikhil Wong has played many sports throughout his childhood but in recent years narrowed down his focus to volleyball. He said that the game’s fast pace nature is the reason volleyball became much more appealing than other sports.

“I used to play soccer, and that was really boring. In volleyball there’s more action. Every play is different and it’s fun to adapt,” Wong said.

Like Wong, Poon said that volleyball was more fun than other sports he has played. Poon played baseball, soccer and flag football, but said he eventually found that volleyball was the most fun to play. According to Poon, the constant action at every point throughout the game makes volleyball stand out substantially compared to other sports.

“You’re always a part of the play. I played soccer where you’re standing around for a solid amount of time. In volleyball, the ball could come at any second. You always have to be ready, so I enjoy that,” Poon said.

The engaging nature of the sport catches many of the players’ attention. Senior and team member Jason Rich has played volleyball since he was in fifth grade. Since then, he has played many different positions and said that volleyball can be fun regardless of how much you are on the court.

“The nice thing about volleyball is that every point is usually a few seconds long, up to a minute max, and so there’s always action going on. Because the points end so quickly and there’s so many things going on, it’s interesting whether you’re on the sideline or on the court,” Rich said.

As team captains, Wong and Poon said they are making efforts to stay connected to their teammates in hopes of increasing team spirit. Wong and Poon said they are working to get pre-season practice spaces and are planning activities before the spring.

“We’re working on getting practice time in the offseason. During the season, we’re probably going to have days where we watch film on other teams and then just hang out as a team afterward with food and drinks,” Wong said.
Poon said he feels confident that even though there will be a lot of new players, they will still be able to have a tight knit team.

“I think we all will find a way to cultivate that winning culture, ” Poon said. ”We play our best and we’re bonded together.”