The HSMSE boys' varsity volleyball team battled to an eight and two record to make the playoffs this year. Their success was attributed to their growth as team, especially by their seniors.
Four-year players Yussef Elbagory, Will Esseks, and Isaac Draper have been leaders and “go to” players on the court this season. Their experience helped the team focus on higher level tactics and add more variety to their gameplay because they were able to lead and coordinate the team on the court.
“Isaac, Will, and Yussef all improved in terms of consistency and confidence in games,” coach Nick Diunte said.
This improvement in confidence allowed Esseks, Elbagory, and Draper to be leaders on the court and in practice. Draper's setting led the league in assists. His ability to set up plays is critical to the team’s success and without him their road to the playoffs likely would have been much more troublesome than it was.
Many players also made significant improvements in individual skills such as passing and attacking over the offseason. Both his teammates and his coach applauded Damar Mercado-Hastings for improving his swing and approach to hitting since last year.
“Damar improved his swing and got more kills," senior Samson Lin said. "[He] improved in [his] blocks and digging.”
Developing game-like situations during practice helped the team create a positive attitude going into games and reading their opponents. Practice was an essential factor for not only their improvement on the court, but also for their mentality as a team.
“Always just creating competitive situations in practice helps with games and having a group of guys that always want to be on the floor and compete towards playing time," Diunte said. "I think having that atmosphere in practice turned over into the games.”
Their efforts during practice shined on the court as they worked together to read and adjust to their opponents more efficiently than ever before. The team was able to communicate on both offense and defense to implement new plays and control the pace of the game. Their competitive atmosphere during practice also helped the team create stronger relationships with one another and bond during tough games and losses.
“[We] grew a lot as a team in terms of the ability to handle adversity and go forward from it together and come out ahead,” Diunte said.
The Dragons only lost two games, both to Stuyvesant, but they still came together after games, practice, and even during their free time to work on their flaws.
“Coming together after a tough loss and seeing what we need to work on after each game was a team building experience this year,” Lin said.
By: Charles Dicus and Armani Damiron
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