On April 23, the BVH boys’ varsity volleyball team competed against Otay Ranch High (ORH) for the League Championship title. Throughout the season, the team competed against numerous schools, aiming to earn enough wins to be eligible for this special title. The concluding win against ORH was enough for the team to be considered league champions. This achievement was special for the BVH community, as it marked the first win for league championships in approximately 23 years.
This win not only symbolized the players’ hard work but also the accomplishment they have achieved throughout the season. Co-captain and Libero Noah Kircher shares how he and his team reacted when they learned of this crucial milestone.
“I think everybody was really excited given that we haven’t won the league since 2001,” Kircher said. “It felt really good, this season was a lot of fun. And, I think that we showed how much we’ve improved throughout the years.”
Since 2001, the boys’ volleyball team has been unsuccessful with winning league championships, so this accomplishment is also significant for BVH as a whole—recognizing the team’s hard work and dedication. Boys’ varsity volleyball Head Coach Luis Contreras mentions his point of view of making this far of a winning streak in the season.
“[It was] very satisfying, It’s been a long time since we won a league title, so it was huge to be able to win. We were undefeated [throughout this season], so nobody contested it. It wasn’t as surreal because our main objective was California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), but knowing that we won a league and are the best team in the South Bay is nice,” Contreras said.
For this result, the team made changes both on and off the court in order to grow together, which is one of the effective ways the team was able to win the league championship. Moreover, in contrast to previous years, the team changed their way of interacting with each other to develop their skills and play as a team. Senior, Defensive Specialist and Libero Manuel Carbajal discusses how the team’s bond allowed them to grow.
“I personally think that our team hasn’t won league because they probably didn’t have that much chemistry,” Carbajal said. “This year we had a group of players who got along on and off the court which made it a lot easier to communicate with one another and understand each other.”
Similar to Carbajal, Kircher explains some of the factors that might have allowed for the team to make accomplishments. For instance, a multitude of players continue practicing and playing during the off- season. By participating in club volleyball, the athletes were able to improve without the presence of their coach and teammates.
“I think [that] maybe the experience that the players had had an impact because I feel that a good amount of the players that we have this year played club volleyball. So, they were able to learn a lot more than what one season could give them [and implicate that] into the season,” Kircher said.
Despite playing volleyball off season, the team still faced challenges. They played against competitive teams, which put them at an uncomfortable spot, but allowed them to strengthen their techniques and skills. Contreras shares more challanges the team experienced throughout the year.
“We learned how to overcome the skilled schools that we have lost to, historically, like Eastlake High School (EHS) or ORH. Just knowing the history between all these schools and being able to win against those kinds of teams was huge,” Contreras said.
As a result, tackling these challenges increased the value of their accomplishment, along with being left as a positive reminder for the future. Contreras emphasizes how the athletes continued to practice their hardest throughout the season—helping them overcome the challenging matches.
“I think believing is [one of] the biggest things [we should focus on] because I don’t think anybody expected us to win our League. I think that as soon as we beat Eastlake for the first time, we were able to kind of determine [that] we are a really good team,” Contreras said.
The team believes it is vital to practice consistently for them to proceed on their path to success in future games. Carbajal shares their hopes for the volleyball team given the hard work they have dedicated.
“I think our volleyball program will continue to grow and gain more success since the underclassmen show immense talent and dedication. They all contribute something whether it’s their skill, their spirit, or their passion for the sport,” Carbajal said.
