On Aug. 27, the McLean boys volleyball team faced Justice High for their second game of the season. Coming back from a strong season last year, these quarterfinal champions strived to achieve that level of success for the new season.
“I don’t necessarily have a win-loss goal,” said the boys volleyball head coach John Tamashrio. “I just want everyone there playing hard and performing our best.”
The game started off with a short rally. Throughout the game, McLean’s pin hitters consistently targeted weak spots in Justice’s defense.
“We played well. We’ve got to see almost everybody play,” Tamashiro said. “It’s still early [in the season] but the game is a lot of mental involved.”
McLean had improved the accuracy of their serves since last year, scoring numerous aces in every set. However, the team still missed some of their serves when the pressure was too high.
“Our service fee needs to go up because our averages are not at the highest it could be,” varsity volleyball libero Jose Eslinger said. “Our service fee average needs to be at 2.25% [but] it’s around 1.7% so we’ve been working on that at practice.”
McLean took an early lead, 14-6, by playing aggressively. Coordinated plays and fakes were McLean’s strong suit. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without team chemistry that comes from hours and hours of playing with each other.
“We have a system where every [newer] player on the team has an [experienced] partner on the team,” assistant coach John Fehr said. “That sets a good foundation of teamwork and camaraderie.”
On the court, this chemistry translated into confident play and quick decision making during rallies.
“The mentality I have is to just pass the ball,” Eslinger said. “I tell myself just to pass the ball.”
The first set was fast paced with standout performances from multiple players. Senior setter Evan Li recorded several aces, while junior outside hitter Will McGinnis delivered powerful spikes. Coordinated blocks from pin hitters and middle blockers helped secure an early lead, eventually winning the set 25-12.
Set two continued McLean’s momentum, with the team recording multiple aces and hitters scoring with spikes and tips. McLean’s defense was solid too, essentially covering the entire court. Since McLean was able to play more aggressively this set, the team won the set, 25-14.
In the final set, defensive plays from freshman libero Laith Barakat and freshman outside hitter Henry Huang, combined with key spikes and aces, helped McLean close the match 25-19, completing a clean sweep.
McLean is set to play on Sept. 1 against Alexandria City, where they hope to further their undefeated 2-0 record. Looking ahead, the team is excited to face tough competition and test the team against the best in the region.
“We’re going to continue to practice hard and watch as much film as we can on every team we face,” senior Opposite Quinn Nolan said. “We want to keep our energy high and make sure we focus on the end goal rather than the score at one moment. This will help us beat the better teams we face.”
