After 19 games, the Boys Volleyball team found themselves competing on Tuesday, April 30th for the title of district champs, and much to their pleasure, they won. Only 5 years after the team was first established, Coach Samantha Harwell was able to lead her team to a 3-2 victory against Stoneman Douglas under the leadership of her co-captains seniors Sergio Mejia Monnar and Aadhith Arancherry. Ranking 55th in the state, the boys team has shown their determination throughout the season via their tireless practices and stats which shows a winning streak of 14 games. Looking back at the season, the players reminisce on their years with the team and the victory that will be the legacy they leave behind.
“Seeing the team grow was something beautiful to see cause when we first started we were really really bad and now we’re here winning districts and I think that’s why it was so emotional for me cause I was here from the start,” says Aadhith Arancherry. The only player on the team to have been a member for all 5 years, Arancherry has watched as his team has evolved from the weak group of newcomers from five years ago to the trained team of players it is today. Looking back at how they played, Coach Samantha Harwell talks about the emotions she felt after winning at districts.
“It was an enormous weight off my shoulders just to know that the weeks, and for me and some of these boys, the years of hard work and perseverance were all worth it,” says Harwell. At their district game against Stoneman Douglass, the boys performed to the best of their ability playing a game with 60 kills, which is when the ball is spiked down to the opposing side and a point is awarded, and a 0.463 hitting percentage, which is found by calculating the amount of kills minus errors over the amount of total attacks. Looking at their stats, it is easy to see how their hard work payed off going into the year but now that the season is almost over, it’s time for the boys to look forward and see what awaits them next year.
“We have seven seniors so it’s gonna be a fresh start. It’s probably gonna be me and two others staying and we’re going to have to start new with a bunch of freshmen,” says Murillo Boeta. Looking at the coming year, the thought of having to establish a new foundation looms over those players who will be left behind; however, that is an issue for next year. After the boys win at districts, they advance to a regionals game which will happen on Tuesday May 7th here at Coral Springs Charter. The game, which will be against Coral Springs High School, helps mark the boys accomplishment this year. With their final games coming up, the boys have done their best to stay in the game and after everything that has happened, one can only applaud them for their efforts and congratulate them for their recent victories on the court.
