October 30, 2015
Page 28
The Spectator SpoRts
Girls’ Volleyball
CALENDAR
Vixens Dominate Lady Blazers, Remain Undefeated
OCTOBER
3
TUESDAY
Girls’ Volleyball vs. Seward Park Campus
Ashley Lin / The Spectator
Stuyvesant H.S. Gym
Team huddle after each point (left); senior Mariya Kulyk goes for outside hit (right).
By Andrew Qu The Vixens, the girls’ volleyball team, did not disappoint against Murry Bergtraum, as they chalked up another win and remained undefeated. Murry Bergtraum’s Lady Blazers have yet to pick up a win this season and could not upset the Vixens, who currently lead their division. The Vixens have dominated since the season started, and they kept up this same performance against the Lady Blazers during their game on Thursday, October 22. The Vixens won in two sets, 25-2 and 25-7, dominating throughout the entire match. “Going into the game, we had an opportunity to play a clean game, with perfect hits [and] perfect sets,” senior and co-captain Tammy Liang said. Senior Georgia Kamm started the game for Stuyvesant with an ace. The Lady Blazers’ miscommunication allowed
for several more, including a play in which two Lady Blazers collided as two players went to receive the ball. Kamm finished with four aces, and the Vixens scored eight unanswered points before a kill by Murry Bergtraum’s Roderica Afflick put her team on the board. Stuyvesant senior and co-captain Mariya Kulyk then answered with a kill of her own, regaining possession for the Vixens. From there, the Vixens went on a 16-0 run. Junior Chloe Delfau’s strong serving picked up another four aces. The Vixens’ frontline played exceptionally well, with perfect bumps and sets that allowed for easy kills, especially by junior Madeleine Ostergaard, who finished with five assists. The Vixens also showcased great defense; a block by freshman Alexandra Archer sent the ball almost straight down, forcing the Lady Blazers to dig it into the net. Several aces by Liang
made the score 24-1, though a botched serve finally returned possession to the Lady Blazers. However, their next serve failed to pass the net, ending the set 25-2 for the Vixens. After crushing their opponents in the first set, the Vixens rotated many of their rookies for the second set. Stuyvesant began the game by giving up the first three points, even after a great dig by sophomore Kristina Kim, who finished with eight digs in total. Fellow sophomore Khrystyna Andriychuk scored the Vixen’s first point with a well-placed, one-handed hit for a kill. Afterwards, Andriychuk served to get her team going. Two especially strong serves hit a Lady Blazer in the chest and bounced out for aces on consecutive plays. While the Lady Blazers performed better throughout the second set, they continued continued on page 27
Boys’ Bowling
Spartans on the Rise By Nadia Filanovsky For those who bowl recreationally, bowling a game over 100 is a huge feat. For the Spartans, the boys’ bowling team, it’s a daily routine. The team has been successful this season, steadily defeating opponents and currently holding a record of 5-2. However, the game on Monday, October 19 proved to be an exciting change of pace as they faced longtime rival Beacon High School. The Spartans, who had lost to Beacon earlier this season, hoped to avenge their loss, and achieved their wish as they readily defeated their opponents, 2-1. Stuyvesant opened the first game with a total score of 483, by an all-junior team composed of Justin Lee (153), Ivan Liu (87), Shaeq Ahmed (114), and Brian Chu (133). Lee, in particular, bowled well; he impressively opened the meet with a “turkey,” or three consecutive strikes. Throughout the rest of the game, he bowled three spares, and closed with a strike. “On my third ball I went straight down the lane, and
chucked the ball, not even looking back I knew that it would hit. [The] revenge felt good, not just for the game but for respect,” Lee said. An all-senior team bowled the second game, and scored a total of 533. The team was made up of Alex Baren (136), Sanil Dave (117), Eric Zhou (116), and Peter Strbik (126). Notably, co-captain Dave bowled turkeys in the seventh, eighth, and ninth frames. The turkey in the ninth frame was especially important, because it helped the team finish strong and clinch their victory. “Beating Beacon this week was certainly a statement game to the rest of the division; we are still the team to beat,” boys’ bowling coach Di Wu said. The team dynamic contributed to their success, as many members supported each other throughout the game. “The team has really been coming together as of lately. There’s always a barrage of fist-bumps and high fives after a good shot and we’re always trying to help each other with the minor things,” Strbik said. Wu is especially excited by
the team’s performance this season considering the fact that two-thirds of the Spartans from last year’s team were seniors. However, the returning players paid their dues and made up for the team’s graduating members. “Seniors Alex Baron, Peter Strbik, along with co-captains Sanil Dave and Eric Zhou really stepped up and made our team once again in contention of the division title,” Wu said. “With junior Brian Chu and Shaeq Ahmed making tremendous progress, I like our chances in once again making the playoffs and possibly advancing further.” Looking forward, the Spartans have high hopes. Beacon High School has consistently been a rival to Stuyvesant, and the win is an indicator of the team’s consistency with their scores. Co-captains Zhou and Dave believe that this win shows promise for them in the rest of the season. “This season we can make it further than we did last. I believe we can make the playoffs and beat a team in Staten Island,” Zhou said.
8
PSAL City Varsity and JV SUNDAY Championships Track and Field Van Cortland Park
Boys’ Bowling vs. HS of Art and Design
6
FRIDAY
Astoria Bowl #2 Boys’ Fencing vs. NEST HS-Fencing NEST HS
WRAPUP past week the Stuyvesant fencing team defeated NEST+M in a close match 69-66. They are now 7-0. This oth the male and female Greyducks, Stuyvesant’s cross country teams, placed first in Manhattan Borough Championships on B Saturday, October 24. Juniors Kiyan Tavangar and Zovinar Khrimian placed first in the boys’ varsity and girls’ varsity races, respectively.
he Centaurs, the boys’ soccer team, beat Washington Irving 5-4 and advanced to the playoffs for the second consecutive year. T On Sunday, October 25, they lost in the playoffs to FDR 2-1. the golf season set to start, the Stuyvesant Eagles, the golf team, have a lot to live up to after a 8-0 season last year. With
Predictions for the Upcoming NBA Season By Arya Firoozan and John Park A new NBA season means a new start for every team. While each team hopes that this year will finally be “their year,” is it inevitable that only a select few will rise to the top for a chance at the Larry O’Brien trophy. Here are our rankings for the league’s top teams in each conference, as well as a surprise overachiever for each. Eastern Conference 1) Cleveland Cavaliers Besides the fact that they have the “Big Three,” the Cavs have a very solid team includ-
ing Matthew Dellavedova, Jared Cunningham, and a resurgent Anderson Varejao. In addition, a midseason trade last season added J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofrey Mozgov, improving upon an already impressive offense while solidifying a lackluster defense. The Cavs also signed Richard Jefferson and Mo Williams during the off-season, which will improve the team’s depth. Don’t expect this year’s team to be the same injury-decimated one as last year. As long as Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love remain healthy, the Cavs will easily take a top seed in the East and be continued on page 27
28. Finally? “We did it!” Richard cheers, rushing in to boot up a screen. You smile, taking careful steps past the sphinx. “Echo is correct. It does not speak, but is audible. It is heard, but never seen. Echo. I am an echo.” Emilie yelps as the Sphinx disappears into nothing, and you stare into the now empty hallway. Something like laughter bubbles up in your throat. Exhaustion and happiness flow over. “Thank you! Thank you!” Richard yells, throwing his arms around you. Something moist hits the back of your shirt, and you realize how scared he must have been. Slowly, you move your arms to hug back. “You’re welcome,” you respond. Emilie coos mockingly, swinging around to give you a playful punch on the arm. You almost shoot her a glare. “Best Big Sib ever,” Emilie says. You sigh. Yeah. Best Big Sib ever. You can live with that. ~ Good End: Sphinx Riddle Try again? Return to 1~