Nearing the end of their season, the Arcadia High School (AHS) Boys Junior Varsity 2 Volleyball team concluded its final home game on Apr. 12 against Pasadena High School (PHS). The Apaches won the first two sets in a very exhilarating game, securing their victory with a score of 25-16 in the second set. 

The Apaches started off the game with a serve from sophomore setter Isaac Wong. The first set was an extremely close battle, with the score flipping back and forth a couple times and remaining neck-and-neck for a good portion of the set. The score ultimately reached 24-24, to which overtime was called. Luckily, the Apaches managed to pull through and win the set with a score of 27-25. 

“Something we really struggled with in the first set was receiving—we just couldn’t get the ball over the net as easily,” said sophomore libero Anas Yousuf. 

However, following the first set, the Apaches were able to regroup and refocus themselves. During the five-minute break between sets, the team set their focus on intentional hits and loosening up in general. The second set saw cleaner and more controlled passes as well as more active teamwork and communication. 

Throughout the game, the entire team was very encouraging of one another, cheering whenever an Apache player scored and sometimes even engaging in cheers against the PHS team. These cheers were made in good fun and highlight the positive and uplifting environment created in the Arcadia volleyball program. 

The game was concluded with a winning hit from sophomore outside hitter Jackson Bailey in the second set. 

“I would’ve definitely liked to see our stats higher because PHS was a school we expect to play better against,” reflected Yousuf. “So much of volleyball is mental, and I think today we were just a little bit out of it.”

This was the third win of the AHS Boys Volleyball program’s clean sweep against PHS. The Junior Varsity team played simultaneously and also won the game in two sets. The Varsity team played earlier that day and won in three sets out of the allotted five. 

“I think what we learned from this game was that we play best when we are having fun,” said Yousuf. “Once we were able to loosen up, we gained better control of the ball and really got into the zone.

The Arcadia Boys Junior Varsity 2 season concluded on Apr. 18 against Burroughs High School. Congratulations to the Apaches on an amazing season!

Photo courtesy of Arcadia DCI intern Danielle Workman