Spiking Their Way to Victory

Aiden Rubinstein Associate Editor

Although they just began their season in the spring, both the junior varsity and varsity boys’ volleyball teams are already killing the court. Led by Coach Youell, the volleyball team is off to a fantastic start, both in practice and in game.

“The games have been really fun so far,” says junior Derek Max, a member of the JV team. “Our team is currently 4-2, but our losses have been to the top teams in the state. We are getting better every single day. I always look forward to practice so that we can improve as a team”

“As a team, our games are going alright so far,” says junior Ethan Luce, a member of the varsity team. “We are currently 3-4 but we are definitely improving fast. We are a really young team, so as the season goes on, we’ll surely get better and betWter.”

Last spring, the volleyball team was on a roll. They placed well in the top one thousand schools nationally, as well as in the top fifty schools in Florida. Ethan Luce continuously appeared on

the leaderboards, placing top three in several categories such as hitting percentage, kills, total blocks, and digs. Renzo Reid, the team’s current student captain, also often placed in the top three in total blocks and hitting percentage. Both players are still members of the team this year and plan to help guide the team to victory.

Being a player on the volleyball team, however, involves so much more than just playing the game as a unit or playing on the court.

“Being on the volleyball team means being a part of something bigger than yourself,” says Derek Max. “Being on the team has introduced me to so many new friends both on and off of the court”

“Joining the volleyball team means joining a brotherhood of athletes who are together through the highs and the lows,” says senior

Being a part of the volleyball team calls for a strong suite of hands. Playing and working together with your teammates to strive to be the best requires a handful of skills partnered with a very strong work ethic.

“Volleyball takes more than just being able to execute the skills necessary on the court,” says Coach Youell. “It takes communicating, listening, understanding, and implementation of instruction.”

“A good heart and a strong mind can take you a long way when on the team,” says Renzo Reid.

Coach Youell, in her seventeenth year of coaching volleyball as a whole, has been coaching the boys volleyball team at River for five years.

“I like the long-term