The boys’ varsity volleyball team capped off a memorable season, finishing second in the league and showing significant improvement from last year’s third-place finish. Despite tough losses against league rival Palo Alto, the team looks forward to building on this year’s success and aiming even higher next season, junior Daniel Todd said.
Todd has played on varsity for two years and was proud of the team for improving from last year’s third-place finish, he said.
“Overall, the season was great,” Todd said. “I think we did far better in comparison to last year. We finished 2nd in our league this season. We had such an amazing group of boys on our roster, and it was a ton of fun for all of us.”
One of the most memorable moments for Todd was Senior Night, when he celebrated alongside players he’s known for years, Todd said.
“I loved seeing all of the Class of ’25 players that I used to see at open gyms and playing with them at the end of the season with such high energy,” he said. “I’ve become good friends with them and I just love seeing how far they’ve come.”
Despite a few tough losses and a second-place finish, the team is looking ahead to next year, Todd said. There are big hopes and expectations to go further next year, he said.
“I hope that we’ll take first place next season,” he said. “There’s a lot of background training that all of our players may be doing, and I think we can do even better.”
Sophomore Brody K. Nguyen had a great start in his first season playing for MHS, Nguyen said. The season challenged him in new and different ways than he had seen playing for Bay to Bay and Aloha Volleyball Club, Nguyen said
“I feel that my biggest improvement this year has been my mindset when it comes to always giving 100% in everything,” Nguyen said. “I didn’t always find myself giving my full effort, but playing alongside some of the best volleyball players I have been given the chance to play on the same team as, it really drove me to want to be a better player overall. My biggest goal for next year is to be able to be consistent in defense, have a higher passing percentage than I had this year, and to be able to always be a reliable player.”
This season has been one of the most memorable and fun, assistant coach Hyacinth Simmons said. The boys JV team was especially exciting to watch, she said.
“I would say the season was pretty amazing, especially with this year being the first for our JV boys,” Simmons said. “They really did spectacular.”
The team’s greatest strength was their cooperation and perseverance, Simmons said. They never gave up against the best of teams, she said.
“In the game against Cupertino, they lost against them.” Simmons said. “But they took a set against this A-league team, which deserves to be applauded.”
Several players grew throughout the season, especially freshman, Ryan Dang, Simmons said. Dang joined the team on a whim, having little prior knowledge of the sport, she said.
“He came into the season just because somebody told him it would be fun,” Simmons said. “Without knowing much about volleyball, he turned out to be one of their best players. It was truly astonishing to watch, and I’m very proud of him.”
Reflecting on the team’s final standing, Todd acknowledged that while there was room for improvement, the season’s outcome was still a major achievement.
“Three of our four losses were against Palo Alto,” Todd said. “We definitely feel like we could’ve done better, but I personally think our place in second was good and worth it,”
Despite falling short against a tough rival, Todd emphasized that the team’s overall growth and performance made the finish something to be proud of.
“Now I think we can do better next season.” Todd said. “I think we can take 1st in the league next year.”