On Friday, Jan. 13, during Highlander Time, McLean Leadership brought back the popular Volleyboys event. Teams of boys from the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes played against each other in a round robin volleyball tournament, which determined who played against the team of staff members at the end of the period.
The first game, between the juniors and the freshman, ended in a tight junior victory with a score of 17-15.
“It was fun to play the juniors, even if we didn’t end up winning,” freshman team captain Nick Karageorgos said.
The juniors came out strong, with some impressive saves from junior Vaughn McCoullough in the first few points that determined the energy for the rest of the game. The juniors also kept the pressure on their opponents with aggressive serves that gave them an advantage.
“We played well and showed some hustle,” junior team captain Caf Eaton said. “Our serving was what really helped us in the first game.”
After the junior vs. freshman match-up, the sophomores bested the seniors in a match ending with a score of 13-7. This allowed for the sophomores to go into their match against the juniors with confidence.
The junior-sophomore match was a one-sided match, with the sophomores taking the lead early on. The junior team struggled to catch up, shanking the serve receive on many occasions.
Sophomore Ethan Ball accumulated points quickly with his powerful serves. His numerous aces and smart backrow play set his teammates up for many aggressive plays at the net, ultimately securing the win for the team.
“On the behalf of the junior class, I’m sorry,” junior Vaughn McCoullough said. “We got them next year.”
After their triumphant victory over the juniors, the sophomores took on the staff team. The staff members started off showing clear initiative and competitiveness, particularly in a play from student resource officer Scott Davis. Davis used his 6 ‘5 frame to push the ball down at the net, taunting the opposing sophomore blockers with a “head-tap” motion.
The sophomore’s continued to rally with the staff, with another impressive serving run by Ball. Though the staff team led the game by a few points for most of the match, the sophomore boys managed to tie up the score at 19-19 with only a few minutes left on the clock.
“Once, we had to call a timeout and reset,” assistant principal Emily Geary said. “But highlights were some good communication, and everyone was contributing.”
The staff pulled ahead at the end with a serving run by history teacher Lindsay Boerger, ending with a final score of 22-19. The staff members rushed onto the court to celebrate their win, Davis leading the team and pointing a “number one” to the sky in victory.
“The sophomores fought hard, and they’re only sophomores, which means they’ll have two more years to try to beat us again,” Geary said.
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