On March 4, the Aragon boys volleyball team (4-1 overall) won 3-0 against the Balboa Buccaneers (1-2 overall).
In the first set, the Dons struggled to get their attacks through Balboa’s defense. However, as the score tied 15-15, the Dons were able to gain momentum to score points at a quicker pace, ultimately winning 25-20.
“In the first set, we hadn’t quite built up our confidence yet and had a few losing streaks,” said senior defensive specialist William Stoehr. “After that, we did pretty consistently well.”
Aragon had a huge advantage in the second set, with sophomore libero James Diaz leading with a five-point serving streak that pulled the team ahead 9-2. Aragon maintained its energy throughout the set to finish with a score of 25-15.
“What ended up happening was that we went a lot faster and we scored a lot more points,” said junior right side hitter Grendel Gardiner. “It was pretty much guaranteed [that] we were winning at that point.”
In the final set, head coach Diean Hala’ufia was able to give more playing time to the underclassmen and non-starters as Aragon finished with a 25-16 win.
“[Our] cover … helped us out when we got blocked a lot,” Gardiner said. “The blocks from our middle blockers, like Logan and Matthew, and … our outside hitters … like [Solomone] and Cameron, [are] what really helped to secure that victory.”
Despite their victory, the Dons still have room to improve.
“Consistency is probably our biggest issue to work on,” Stoehr said. “We had some really amazing plays, but sometimes fell into losing streaks where we lost morale.”
The team is focused on bridging the gap between new and returning players. Through their shared passion for the sport, the players work together and learn from one another.
“Our practices and meets have been super fun,” said senior captain and setter Michael Tun Zan. “It’s always so much fun just playing volleyball. I think what makes our practices so fun is that everyone comes because they want to play.”
The players’ different levels of experience create a unique learning environment for new players and provide opportunities for mentoring among the more experienced players.
“The goal I have for this season is skill development,” Hala’ufia said. “We have a lot of kids that are new to the sport and we have quite a few players that are more advanced. So teaching the skills and having them master those skills is the goal.”
“The blocks from our middle blockers [and] our outside hitters … helped to secure that victory”
Specifically, one of the areas the team is looking to improve on is a better understanding of game strategy.
“They realize there’s actually a … purpose behind every movement,” Hala’ufia said. “There’s a reason why we do certain things. It’s just not a family fun, hit-the-ball-over-the-net kind of thing. They’re beginning to understand that there’s more behind the game than just hitting the ball.”
Once the players understand the strategy, each individual brings their own specialty to make a cohesive team, whether it be through defense or well-placed sets. Hala’ufia takes a more flexible approach to the game by emphasizing the players’ shared goals.
“We focus on just trying to change their state of mind,” Hala’ufia said. “What we control is only ourselves and what we bring to the game. So … just focus on your game and how you can play your role so that you can help the team.”
The team did rigorous pre-season conditioning.
“Coach Wu has been instrumental in conditioning the kids and working on just movement drills and things that could help us,” Hala’ufia said. “In volleyball, that’s been a great asset to our program.”
As the season continues, the team has clear goals and an optimistic outlook.
“Some strengths that we all share as a team are definitely our commitment towards volleyball and our positivity on and off the court,” Tun Zan said. “We’re just really good at cheering each other on.”
Due to COVID-19 constraints last year, the boys volleyball school season coincided with club season. Thus, many teammates participated in club volleyball instead. This season, with more experienced players returning, the team hopes to make the Central Coast Section playoffs after barely missing qualification last season.
“Last year, we were second place in the [league],” Gardiner said. “Because volleyball [has fewer teams], you have to get first place in order to move on. [We] just have to get that win against San Mateo.”
The Dons’ next home game is on March 11 against South San Francisco (0-1 overall) at 6:30 p.m.
