HSMSE Dragons show their lack of experience in a tough loss to Brandeis

Coach Diunte (l.) with his team's three seniors / Monicka Chang

In an exciting boys' volleyball match at the Nat Holman Gymnasium on April 29th  the Brandeis Bulldogs upset the HSMSE Dragons for their first win of the season. The Dragons looked good from the beginning of the game, and at one point were up by seven, but the Bulldogs clawed their way back to a convincing 27-25, 25-19 win.

In their previous meeting. the HSMSE boys’ volleyball team defeated the Brandeis Bulldogs on April 13th; however, they were not able to close out the first set in what appeared to be the young team showing their inexperience. This played a part in how the team approached the second set, with the team continuing to make the same mental lapses that caused them to give up a big lead in the first set. This gave the feeling that they were playing defeated from the start of the second set.

This is not the first lead the Dragons have given up this season; it has been a constant problem for half of the Dragons league’s games. Coach Nick Diunte feels it’s not such a physical problem, but more of a mental struggle for the team.

“I think a lot of it is mental at this point," Diunte said in a post game interview. "I think just mentally they need to have the wherewithal to finish plays and be confident enough to take their best swing."

The Dragons learned a valuable lesson from this loss and look to bounce back in their upcoming games with a different mindset.

Contributed by Henry Schoenfield and Mohammed Kabir

Good news for boys' volleyball team despite outcome

Dobranov (left), Hamade (14) / Din Islam

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ volleyball team scrimmaged against Hillcrest High School on March 20, 2014 at City College's Nat Holman Gymnasium. Despite losing in all four sets, the Dragons demonstrated they have the capability for success in the upcoming season.

The Dragons struggled to find a rhythm early in the first set. The biggest problem seemed to be their defense. The Hawks went on several runs including a seven point streak in the first set. In fact, many of the Dragons points in the first round came from the few mistakes by the Hawks.

“I feel like our team has more experience,” senior Hawk captain Tsetan Namgyal said. “I think the team we played right now can improve more. ... They could get better at the basic stuff.”

During the second set, the Dragons had more control on offense. Senior setter Spencer Sharp did a better job finding teammates for kills, but there was still something missing. There was a clear need for better communication, as Hillcrest was easily audible on each play, yet the Dragons were surprisingly silent.

The third round was like a whole new game for the Dragons. They opened up on a 10-4 run and seemed to finally click as a team. Passes seemed more fluid and the Dragons reduced their mistakes. In fact, the score ended at an impressive 25-23, just in favor of the Hawks.

“We just found the sweet spot,” Sharp said. “All of a sudden I just knew how to set well and we got that synergy. Once we started to get closer, the intensity increased so everyone wanted to do better.”

The final set was a great spectacle, as both teams used this as an opportunity to play their back-ups. The scoring back and forth, resembling a basketball game, with the lead changing hands multiple times during the set. The 25-22 score was a great demonstration of how the Dragons second team fought hard and put all their energy into the last round.

The improvement during the game wasn’t the only surprise. Two players made unexpectedly huge contributions to the game. Throughout the game, junior libero Evgeni Dobranov displayed amazing focus and determination defensively. His efforts on the court earned him the nickname “Delibero” by the other team.

“Delibero stood out to me,” Hawks coach Gisele Ruiz said. “He was hustling. He picked up a lot of balls that we could have put down. So [he] made a really good impression on me.

Also noted by Hillcrest's coach was sophomore middle blocker Hussein Hamade.

"[He] was very impressive," she said. "He had really good hands for such a young age.”

The season hasn’t even started and rookie sophomore Hamade is demonstrating valuable skills. Hamade did splendid on offense. His attacks improved as the game progressed and he was a big part of the Dragons’ offense.

“Hussein played really well,” Dragons coach Nick Diunte said. “He got some blocks and kills. I mean he wasn’t even in the plan. I thought he was going to be the backup. He’s really filled that role nicely and is learning everyday, and showing it too.”

With more practice and games, the team will only improve their fundamentals and stop the mistakes that plagued the early sets of this match. It is still possible for the Dragons to continue their successes, despite being placed in the A-Division.