“Spike”-tacular volleyball showdown

Jack Goldman prepares to spike the ball as Alex Kay holds up his hands to block it.

BY OLIVIA VAN DEURSEN
The annual volleyball tournament held on March 10 had the Main Building gymnasium filled with over 200 students eager to find out who would be named 2025 Volleyball Tournament Champions.

The tournament consisted of 6-minute rounds, with bracket-style elimination to determine who would advance further. “We only won one or two games, but we had a lot of fun goofing around and trying to [win],” said sophomore Gia Mamaras, a player for the Pink Panthers.

A total of 16 teams played their best in hopes of making it to the championship. “The atmosphere was very exciting, the energy was high, all the teams had visible motivation and the desire to win was shared throughout the gym,” said junior Izabela Morgan, a standout on team Timmy.

Freshman Amari Alsbrook jumps into the air and looks to return the ball over the opponent’s block.

Team Block Party earned the championship title, with guidance by team coaches Ali Chaudary and Daniel Duran. “My love for the sport motivated me to be a coach for this event,” shared Chaudary. “I couldn’t play, and I wanted to put my knowledge of the sport to use.”

After a stressful game, Block Party secured a close win, with standout performances by Jason Cota, Akhil Penkala, and Kai Hagen. The team struggled with communication early but overcame it with teamwork. “I think we all worked together really hard to win, and we were a really great team,” said senior Peyton O’Regan. “We also had a lot of fun and were just a little bit competitive.”

Junior Michelle Sienkiewicz serves the ball.

The winning team received a breakfast party. “It was great to win the tournament,” said Penkala. “Our team had so much fun playing together, and we were glad we ended up winning.”

Although the team won, their ultimate goal centered around having a good time. “I think the key was that we just had fun and enjoyed playing for fun!” expressed senior Haylee Blackman.

Junior Evan Walker jumps up to spike the ball.
Freshman Lorenzo Tamayo prepares to serve the ball.
Anthony Trojanowski prepares to toss the ball in the air for a jump serve.
Sophomore Desmond McLaughlin pulls his arm back to spike it while freshman Jaxon Cronin reaches up with one hand to try to block it.
Alexa Accettulli serves the ball.