Boy’s Volleyball Springs Into Season

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Kaden Brown

Varsity captain Jared Tretter serves one of the many service aces the team gained against Villa Park High School. The varsity team won 3-1 at their first home game of the season.

Kaden Brown, Staff Writer

With the conclusion of the winter sport’s season, this year has taken a turn into spring. With that comes new seasons for sports like baseball, softball, lacrosse, and boys’ volleyball.

At SJHHS, boys’ volleyball has been run and directed by head coach Tom Kohler for almost four years now. Within the years he’s coached the program, Kohler has led the team to one league championship.

This year, Kohler looks to do the same this year as the season fast approaches.

The varsity team this year is made up of mostly program returners such as juniors Ben Edwards, Andrew Piecuch, and Jared Tretter, and seniors Josh Estrada and Justin Jeon.

The varsity team also welcomed senior Wendel Simpson, and sophomores Cade Albright and Jack Collins.

Last year the varsity team made it through a 3-17 season. This year, it’s the team’s goal to not repeat such a fate.

The junior varsity team is being led by Coach Drew Rappaport, a new coach who attended Aliso Niguel High School last year on the varsity team.

The team welcomed several new freshmen to the team along with other program returning sophomores and juniors.

Last year, the JV team had a successful season in league clinching a league championship. This year the team aims to replicate those results by retaining energy in games and playing to their utmost ability in dissecting teams and strategies.

The freshmen-sophomore team this year is being led by Coach Keller Brown. Brown is a new coach returning to SJHHS to coach after his season last year on the varsity team as setter and team captain.

The frosh-soph team welcomed back some returning sophomores and an entirely new freshmen roster.

Coaching a frosh-soph team requires a main focus on teaching and executing the fundamentals of the game. Brown affirms frosh-soph team to be critical to the program as a whole,

“It is important that a foundation is laid concerning both fundamentals of the game and the athletic skills necessary to play volleyball. Normally, the frosh-soph team is where athletes are introduced to volleyball and so it acts as a developmental component of the program.”

The ideals of the program ensure that future movement of players through the program will strengthen the team in the long run,

“If players receive a solid foundation in the beginning, they will be more successful at higher levels of play, such as club and JV or varsity.”

Kohler and his staff aim to facilitate not only a victorious season, but also a strengthening in the skill and strategy of the game within the players.

The first home game occurred on Tuesday March 7th against Villa Park High School, all three levels of the SJHHS team won their matches in their second consecutive three level sweep against VPHS since last season at home as well.

The season continues with the next pre-season game at home versus Jserra High School March 11 at 6pm.