Standing confidently on the end line of the court, junior Peter McManus tossed up the ball and executed his serve with ease. The score stood 4–1, the juniors beating the freshmen. Falling just out of reach of the freshmen defense, McManus’ serve secured an early lead in the first set of the highly anticipated high school volleyball tournament.
On Oct. 23 and 24, GDS held the annual grade-level volleyball tournament. Non-female identifying students played, and players on the varsity and junior-varsity volleyball teams coached. The tournament consisted of two rounds. On Thursday, the freshmen faced the juniors, and the sophomores played the seniors in the first round. All four teams were looking to secure their spot in Friday’s finals.
Because of time constraints, the first two sets were played to 15 points, and, when a third set was necessary, it was played to 11.
Both the sophomores and the seniors opened the first set strong. The grades traded points, with no team scoring more than four points in a row. The sophomores were up 10–6 as the ball came hurtling towards sophomore Parker Dunbar, who leapt towards it, keeping the ball in play for sophomore Gavin Solomon to set it for sophomore Paul Sussmann, who sprang up and spiked it over the net, securing the point. (Dunbar and Solomon are on the Bit’s staff.) The sophomores won the first set, 15–13.
The seniors, motivated by the loss, quickly got back in the saddle and, after being down 1–3, went on a nine-point spree. The coaches cheered on the sideline, and junior and senior dean Darius Pardner high-fived the players. The seniors easily won the second set, 15–7, on an ace. They went on to win the third as well, securing their spot in the finals for the third year in a row.
“Oh we are absolutely going to win,” freshman Max Goldman said before playing the juniors. The freshman class lost both of its games in the annual flag football tournament.
The juniors came out strong, winning in two straight sets against the freshmen. They continually targeted open spots on the court with many aces and kills. For the first time in their three years playing, the class of 2027 secured a spot in the finals.
“The [volleyball tournament] brings a lot of school spirit,” PE teacher and athletics coach Amy Heinzelmann said. “Obviously we don’t have a boys volleyball team, so it is nice for the students to play a sport they don’t get to play as often and demonstrate their skill.”
On Friday, the upperclassmen fought for the gold medal, and the underclassmen faced each other for the bronze.
Both upperclassman teams were hopeful heading into the championship game. Having narrowly lost in the finals last year, and winning their sophomore year, the seniors hoped to claim victory in their last tournament. “We’re really just looking forward to having fun,” senior coach Fiona McDermott said. “They [the players] get really into it.”
Both teams started the set out strong, trading points. Eventually, the seniors found their rhythm, targeting open spots on the court. The seniors won their first set, and, with only one set left to get the win, their passion seemed to be paying off.
The juniors went into the next set energized and quickly pulled ahead. The score stood at 6–2 as the senior team made substitutions, hoping that fresh legs would boost their energy. The crowd erupted in noise as Heinzelmann, the referee, raised up the flag, declaring the spike hit by senior TJ Jones was in bounds. The seniors had tied the game at 8.
The seniors scraped ahead, securing their second volleyball tournament victory in straight sets. They went undefeated this year in grade-level tournaments, winning both the volleyball and flag football tournaments.
Going into the bronze medal game, the freshmen were energized, and before long they were winning, 11–10. Despite the freshmen’s narrow lead, the sophomores proceeded to go on a five-point streak and won the first set, 15–11. The freshmen gathered for a brief huddle before running back to their positions. The freshmen were winning 5–4 before the sophomores scored 10 points straight. The freshmen scored another point before the sophomores won, 15–6, securing third place.
Everyone interviewed by the Bit emphasized the fun and exciting nature of the tournament. “It’s great to see the grade-wide competition,” Heinzelmann said.