With a whopping 6-0 start to the season with an 18-2 set record, the varsity boys volleyball team has continued to dominate the Northern Virginia area. The team played against Oakton at home on Sept. 11, hoping to continue their unbeaten streak and come out of the gates hot and energized. They faced Oakton late in the playoffs last year and won in three sets, but the matchup has become a rivalry ever since.

“Our plan is to come out of the gates firing and stay focused on all the fundamentals we have been working on,” senior middle blocker Quinn Nolan said. “If we stay disciplined and play as a team, we can continue our streak against this team.”

McLean came out of the gates contrary to their original motive. Oakton’s offense was too powerful for them, and unnecessary mistakes put the Highlanders down 8-2.

Long rallies and strong defense from both teams staggered points back and forth. McLean was starting to inch a comeback with a score of 19-18. Oakton was forced to take a timeout after losing their lead, and McLean was fired up.

McLean kept their momentum out of the Cougar timeout, winning four out of the next five points. However, it was halted by two quick Oakton points and a forced Highlander timeout to figure out how they were going to hold on to a 23-21 lead. They came out of the timeout booming, hitting two straight dominating spikes and winning the first set 25-21.

The second set started much like the first, with McLean falling back 10-5 in the early stages. A quick timeout for the Highlanders halted some of Oakton’s momentum, and the set continued in back-and-forth action until an Oakton timeout up 20-14. The cougar offense clicked in the second set, and they breezed by with a 25-18 set win, making it 1-1 overall in a best-of-five match.

McLean knew they had to win this next set to ensure they didn’t fall back too much. But after coming into the third set roaring, their offense staggered and their defense started making costly mistakes. Oakton found their footing and exploited McLean’s weak spots, going up 19-12 before a Highlander timeout.

McLean started to find some momentum, winning a couple of points here and there. But the Oakton offense was too dominating, and the McLean defense looked tired. Oakton took home the third set 25-21, pinning the Highlanders in a tough position needing to win the final two sets. The break in between this set and the next was crucial, as McLean had to figure out what they were going to do to come back.

“We didn’t have to say much to them; they knew what they had to do,” assistant coach Jason Fehr said. “This is a funny game; a game full of mistakes, and we know that our leaders are going to be leaders and push us through this game.”

McLean came into the fourth set with an all-or-nothing mindset. After a strong start with a 13-7 lead on the back of senior setter Eval Li, they forced Oakton to call a timeout. McLean looked as dominant as they had in the first set, finding their footing and exploiting any Oakton weakness. After many strong serves by Li and sophomore outside hitter Alex Ham, the Highlanders cruised to a 25-12 fourth set win.

McLean had all of the momentum coming into the last first-to-15 superset. However, Okaton was not going down without a fight. More and more back-and-forth action occurred between the two teams, and McLean was forced to take a timeout with a cougar lead, 8-5.

Oakton came out of the timeout fired up, scoring three of the next four points and forcing yet another McLean timeout. Coming out of the pause however, the Highlanders started mounting a comeback. Winning four of the next five, McLean was in a spot only down 12-10. But, Oakton charged up their rampaging offense, winning the final three points and handing the Highlanders their first loss of the year, 3-2.

“This is an unusual position we’re in because we haven’t lost in the regular season in two seasons,” Fehr said. “This is where we want to take a loss; in the regular season. Every team got better from last season, and this is a real wake-up call for our guys.

The Highlanders face off against Hayfield High School on Monday, Sept. 15, with the hope of using this game as momentum for the rest of the year. While this game took them out of an undefeated season, it is going to live with them into the playoffs.

“We got too comfortable that we were “McLean” and let down,” senior outside hitter Zolo Ganzorig said. “The match showed us what we were lacking and where we needed to improve. We took accountability for that and are only going to get better.”