Boys Volleyball Triumphs Against NMH
By JINMIN LEE, V MURDAYA, AND LEON XIE
On Saturday, April 4, Exeter’s boys varsity volleyball traveled to Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH) and seized a quick victory with a score of 3-1, continuing this year’s undefeated season.
All throughout the season, the team spared no expense in training, undergoing rigorous practice to make sure their performances were strong ones. “One of the biggest things for any volleyball team is serving and passing,” prep Lake Zhou said. “So a lot of the time we worked on serving and passing, which is why we won the game yesterday. Our serving consistency allowed us to bring the ball to the center of the court more, giving us an advantage.”
“We also practiced forming quick strategies on our feet,” explained lower Robin Dao. “We watched and studied recordings of good plays during practice and, during our game, tried hard to identify our opponents’ best hitters. We had also worked on quick transitions off blocks, which was integral to our victory.”
“However, we were worried and a little stressed when we ended up losing our third set to NMH,” Dao continued. “Even though we were up 2-1, we knew that NMH was not a team we could lose to. We wanted to protect our undefeated title. So there was a bit of pressure.”
Zhou agreed, but he emphasized how the team was able to work well to bring stability back to the game.
“Our captain Nick Lin served well in the fourth set, which was the highlight of the game,” Zhou said. “We kept the ball on their side and made sure to let them make the errors. This allowed us to assert ourselves in the game again.”
“Teddy Hosmer and Nick Lin really had some great serve aces,” Dao said. “Devon Coole and Bodie Woods hit really well as well.”
“The current team environment and dynamic has also been great,” uppe rand outside hitter Bodie Woods said. “Everyone’s morale is really high, and we are all getting along really well as a team.”
The team played NMH again four days later at home, besting them once more with an even more impressive 3-0 score. “The team is confident about our wins and successes,” Dao said. “We’re hopeful that our strength carries us forward toward an undefeated championship.” The team has already beaten Andover two times this season, and Woods believes that this upcoming match will be no different. “We’ve beaten Andover twice, so I think that we can do this one more time. Plus, it is a home game, so I think it will go pretty well.”
Since this interview, the team beat Andover in the NEPSAC championship with a score of 3-0. Finishing their season with a 8-0 record, the team is proud of their hard work and excited for next season.
