Underdog Volleyball Upsets Favorites for NCS Title

The varsity boys volleyball team took home the North Coast Section (NCS) title after beating Northgate High School on May 9.  The squad beat Acalanes on May 7 to earn its spot in the championship.

According to senior Charley Sanchez, the win was both extra special and unexpected, considering they were swept by Acalanes and Northgate during the regular season.

Senior Ryan Yick said, “They are our biggest rivals.”

Volleyball coach Dave Chen recognized the change in his team from the regular season. “The team really found a way to come together and compete at a high level when it mattered most. Skill wise we were executing and understanding the game plan well all while making the right early decisions,” he said.

After losing the 1st set to Northgate in the final, the team stormed back to take the next 2.

While it is not the 1st section title for the program, it was particularly sweet for this year’s players. “We won NCS sophomore year, but everyone knew we were going to win so it was way more exciting to win this year,” said senior Sam Lunn. “It felt like we earned it a lot more as a team. We weren’t the top seed — we had to climb our way through.”

The energy in the crowd and on the bench was significant. “The fans who came were really loud and supportive and it was nice to hear them cheering for us,” said Sanchez.

After the game, Yick claimed there was a special bond in the team they didn’t have before. “We were all communicating with each other and hyping each other up. We found something beyond skill that we utilized in the NCS championship game. We have a really good bond with each other,” he said.

Chen was also excited to see his team succeed. “The coaches are just so excited that the team had an opportunity to experience what it was like to perform on such a stage and find a way to excel and thrive,” he said.