Eden Kotok

The varsity boys volleyball team warms up pre game.

The Lions boys volleyball team cheered, “Ace, Ace, Baby!” after sophomore captain Gilad Elgrably served an ace, tying the score in the third set against the Paul VI (PVI) Panthers 3-0 on Monday, April 7 at home. However, the team couldn’t maintain this lead nor recover from losing the previous two sets, and lost in three straight sets. The Lions’ season record is now 1-7.

The Lions’ head coach Juan Alcivar knows the team is at a disadvantage due to JDS not having seniors in the second semester, and plans to work with the boys in the off season to improve for future seasons. He wants the boys to learn how to be a “volleyball player” and not “a kid who plays volleyball.”

The Lions only have three returning players, one of whom played last season, while the others were mostly on the bench. Alcivar says the team primarily focuses on the basics of volleyball and improving their skills from there. He has seen improvement in the team’s skills all around and is proud of the fight they put up against the Panthers during Monday’s game.

“The two games prior to this game were definitely much better performances by our team,” freshman Jack Grunberger said. “We just got sloppy. It was probably because we’ve had a ton of games in a row, but there are really no excuses.”

The Lions lost the coin toss during warm-ups but got the ball when the Panthers dropped it during the first rally of the game. The Lions and Panthers rallied, and the ball ended up being sent out of bounds by the Lions, setting the score at 1-1.

The game started off with each team having the ball for one or two points before losing it, but then, after junior Aaron Wilkins came in for PVI, he served three straight points for the Panthers, setting the tone for the rest of the set.

PVI would have the ball for around three points, lose it and then the Lions would have it for one or two points before losing it again. The Panthers would then have the ball for around three more points and the cycle essentially continued until the end of the set. The Lions lost this set 25-18.

“We have to find that defense,” Alcivar said. “I think we do at spots. We do things very well, but we gotta get more consistent.”

After a pep talk from Alcivar, the Lions took to the court for the second set, putting more points on the board, but losing the set 25-19. The team has been working on slides, a high level play where the middle moves to the right side to hit an off-beat ball. According to Alcivar, sophomore Caleb Berman has been the one mainly running slides. Alcivar feels as though the team needs to work on their defense and communication.

Elgrably felt as though despite the loss, the team played well and he looks forward to practice because of the environment of being around the team. During the third set, he had many attack kills, which resulted in the Panthers losing points and the Lions serving. Elgrably said he was most proud of a set he had that led to a strong hit by a fellow Lion who scored the point.

“We’ve been getting pretty close [to one another],” Elgrably said. “And that helps us on the court, during games, during practice and in school.”

In the final set, despite the loss, the Lions kept their spirits high. By the very end of the set, the Lions fought to keep the score gap between them and the Panthers at eight points or below. Although a relatively common theme of the game, the boys didn’t want to lose by a large blowout, so they persevered through the end. They lost the third set 25-18.

“I would say just give us patience,” Alcivar said. “I think at the end of season, we might surprise people if we’re able to put it together.”