‍‍The boys varsity volleyball team defeated the Newton North Tigers 3-0 on Tuesday, April 7, in the Schluntz Gymnasium, improving their record to 5-0 this season.

The Warriors entered the match looking to continue their strong start while facing a familiar rival. After eliminating the Tigers in the Final Four last season, head coach Lexi De La Cruz said the Warriors remained focused on executing their game plan against a well-coached opponent.

From the opening set, the Warriors controlled the pace through strong play from their outside hitters and disciplined defense. Junior and outside hitter Kais Fakhuri played a major role in the early momentum, finishing the game with seven kills and three aces. The Warriors won the first set 25-15.

“Swinging high and deep was working for us,” Fakhuri said. “On serve, targeting their libero helped a lot.”

According to De La Cruz, the team’s depth was a key factor in maintaining a high level of play.

“Our depth was huge today. We were missing one of our starting middles, so we had to go to our next guy, Henry, and it didn’t change our level of play,” De La Cruz said.

The Warriors continued their dominance in the second set, winning 25-17 behind balanced contributions across the entire roster. Senior middle and captain Liam Raybould was instrumental, finishing with seven kills and two aces while helping lead the team through tough stretches. According to Raybould, the team’s chemistry was key.

“We’re not six individuals: we’re a team. We’ve been playing together for a while, and that chemistry really helps us,” Raybould said.

Despite building a comfortable two-set lead, the Warriors were faced with a tougher challenge in the third set. The Tigers made a strong push but were ultimately shut down by the Warriors, who took the set 25-22, winning them the match.

“We were down at one point, but we stayed focused and kept applying pressure,” De La Cruz said. “That’s important for us, showing we can handle those moments.”

With the win, the Warriors continue to build momentum early in the season while staying focused on improvement. According to De La Cruz, the team is focused on creating its own identity rather than relying on the success they had last year.

“We’re not the same team as last year,” De La Cruz said. “We’re trying to build something new and compete every game like it’s a championship.”