Boys Volleyball Rides Undefeated Season to the Semifinals

Isaac Cheung ‘23 goes up for the kill amidst an intense rally. *Photo: Alvin Yan*

By BELINDA YONG, LEQIAN YU, and ALVIN YAN

The boys volleyball team rode a perfect 10-0 regular season record all the way to the playoff semifinals this year before falling to Bedford Avenue rival James Madison on May 24.

In an exhausting three-set match, the Hornets took the first set, then Madison narrowly stole the second before overwhelming Midwood 25-17 in the third.

History repeated itself, as the boys team’s season mirrored that of the girls’, who also had a perfect 8-0 record in the regular season but were ultimately defeated by Bronx Science in the semifinals.

“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t take it all the way,” said opposite hitter Benjamin Nirenstein '24. “It was a close game. I know we’ll try again and beat them next year.”

“I'm satisfied with where we ended,” said head coach Tommy Ma. “It was not easy; it was a competitive game. We played well overall. We did miss a few opportunities and made a few mistakes, but our team is still young. It’s all part of the experience.”

Despite the disappointing loss, the Hornets had a fantastic season overall, placing first in the division and earning the 4th seed citywide.

“We've been through some lows and some highs, but we've gone a long way,” said senior Mark Afanasyev, who has been on the team since his freshman year.

The boys placed second in the Cardozo Tournament, the Francis Lewis Tournament, the Eduard Nogay Tournament, and the Seward Park Tournament.

“We definitely had a lot of talks about that,” said middle blocker Ivan Chen ‘23. “Most of us are really happy with second place because it’s a great achievement. But we’ve been getting second a lot; we want to get that first place.”

“I'd say that I speak for everyone when I say that we're really salty at the fact that we get second and that we're always losing in the finals,” said outside hitter Isaac Cheung ‘23. “It’s just something we have to work on in the future.”

The team had a few frustrating tournament losses to Fort Hamilton High School along the way. “I just feel like it shows we still need a lot of practice, that we’re really good, but we just need to beat that one team,” said outside hitter Max Kogan '24. “And we will beat them.”

“In some sets we weren't far behind them,” said Afanasyev. “It's good to have competition like them so that there is always another goal or opponent in mind.”

Cheung spikes through a James Madison block. *Photo: Cristian Zumba*

A big reason for the team’s success was their dedication to practice. The team gathered after school every Monday to Friday, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., either for practice or for scrimmages. Players appreciated that they no longer had to wear a mask or keep social distance this year.

“I'm very grateful to have my senior season be 'normal,'” said Afanasyev.

“We lost a few years because of Covid – no seasons and no playoffs,” said sophomore Kevin Deng. “I was happy I was given this opportunity”

“With a mask and without a mask is a big difference for the athletes,” said Mr. Ma. “Volleyball is a game with high intensity. The guys were able to perform better. Obviously without a mask, they can breathe more oxygen, which gives them more energy.”

Practice started with cardio and calisthenic exercises, some of which were modified to suit the movements of a volleyball game. After these warm-ups, players practiced serving, bumping, and setting.

"It's not about how fast you can rush the serve," said Mr. Ma, after a series of sloppy serves by players during practice.

The team also does hitting lines, in which the hitters on the team line up on one side of the court and take turns spiking. This lasts for a few rotations before transitioning to the other side of the court.

Then six players, usually the starters, are placed on one side of the court while the remaining players serve against them.

Players get penalties such as burpees and laps for mistakes such as missed serves or a botched receive. “It helps get us into shape,” said Cheung.

The team’s success this year didn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many players were new to the team or even the sport entirely.

“Since I joined the team with no experience, it was hard to learn everything from scratch,” said middle blocker Zhen Tao Pan ‘23.

“For new players, we haven’t had as much time to develop our volleyball skills,” said outside hitter Charlie Chau ‘23. “In the end, it’s a learning experience, and with time and effort, we can improve.”

Still, the newcomers “exceeded expectations,” Chen said. “They became so much better in the span of a few months.”

One weakness to work on is communication, “although it has gotten a lot better lately,” said senior Adam Feng.

“It's a very team-based sport and requires a lot of communication,” said Pan. “In volleyball, it's the most important thing. We are still a little lacking in that aspect.”

“When one person doesn’t talk on court, everyone’s energy tends to lower and the overall chemistry tends to not be as good, which results in us playing really poorly,” said setter Vincent Ouyang '22.

Ouyang is a player whose importance was recognized by many teammates.

“Vincent is definitely doing the most difficult job,” said Cheung, in the days before the semifinals. “Although we’re playing sort of inconsistently right now, he does a great job at setting us [hittable] balls.”

“He’s the one who has been running the whole team offense,” said Mr. Ma. “He’s one of the key players. We do have some hitters who can hit, but without a setter, it’s very difficult.”

Players also agreed that Mr. Ma has played a crucial role in the team's success.

“I would of course thank Coach Ma for pushing me the past few years,” said Ouyang. “His constructive criticism pushed me to grow both as a player and as a person in general.”

“Coach is amazing,” said Nirenstein. “He always teaches us the correct things to do, and he helps us a lot with changing our form and perfecting it.”

Team chemistry has also been a strength. “We have awesome people,” said Deng. “I think the team bonding is really good. At times we may fall off, but we are really good in terms of attacking and defending.”

It is evident that the team has worked extremely hard to get where they are now, and they are now looking to build on this year and nurture their talent to run it back next spring. Getting this close to the championship and falling short has only made them hungry for more.

“You have to get your a– kicked before you get better,” said Mr. Ma.