In victory, the boy's volleyball team recovered from their past loss against EAR to an amazing match against PASB. The games were back to back with an hour-long lunch break in between where the boys scrambled to eat, rest, and ice their bodies. Despite the pressure, after the first loss, of having to guarantee their win in this match to qualify for Nationals, the boys played their best and persisted. The energy from the crowd took a while to build up since most of the Lady Hawks were using this time to regain their energy for their second soccer game at 3:15 PM.
Even though team members were upset and worn out, the Hawks scored the first point of the game with a strong spike, leaving the PASB Panthers intimidated and giving EABH a momentary advantage as they continuously scored on the opposing team. When the Panthers gradually threatened to catch up and tie the game, the Hawks blocked not only their spikes but their rise in points, quickly returning the game to EABH’s rule. The majority of those amongst the spectators were not Hawks nor Panthers, which made the cheering of the few that were there vague. Nevertheless, over time the energy of the crowd rose as EABH maintained the lead throughout the game. In the first set, there was not one moment when the team lost their momentum and nearly every player got to contribute to the win.
In the second set, Lucas Chen (12), Edward Mason (2), and Aidan Van Cleef (4) confidently slammed the ball into the floor and Eduardo Calixto (6) blocked anger-fueled spikes from the Panthers. When João Lima (4) entered the game, the crowd roared in support as he played the best he’s ever had at ISSL. Once the Hawks more than doubled the number of points ahead, the Panthers lost confidence and allowed the game to play out in the Hawks’ favor. The second set ended, once a gain, in victory, with a score of 11 - 25.
The boys’ volleyball ended for the day, but the good energy this game generated was not put away as there are more volleyball games for the Lady Hawks to come. The entire crowd gathered when the final point was scored, lining up to proudly congratulate our Hawks.