It was March 7th, 2024.
The Bronx Science Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Team went head to head against Harry S. Truman’s Boys team. It marked their second to last regular season game before the playoffs.
A few girls on the Girls’ Varsity Team and I were helping out by clearing the AP testing chairs from the Bronx Science big gym, pulling out the bleachers, and setting up the net. Rap music was blasting the whole time and the gym was engulfed by laughter. We expected an easy win, so the air was clear of typical pre-game stress.
Many players believe in routines to keep performance anxiety down. For example, some female athletes wear their hair a certain way. Some guys might have a lucky headband. Psychologically, it keeps us grounded and reminds us of self-control. The monotonous routine of setting up the net and personal stretching routines do just that. Many aspects of sports can be out of a player’s control and bounds, such as referee calls or an unfamiliar gym location, but such habits can reduce the stress associated with uncontrollable factors.
We didn’t have one of our starting outsides, Ason Jiang ’24. He was taking a rest day to prepare his body for the strenuous demands of playoffs. Despite this, the team’s performance was striking and unwavering. The young potential on the team is astounding and comforting.
The boys started peppering – a series of passing, setting, and controlled attacks – to warm up. It wasn’t long until the bleachers started filling up with the opposing team’s spectators. Both teams did serving drills, passing drills, attacking drills, and everything possible to prepare for the upcoming match. It was evident that the skill sets of these teams were unmatchable; one was clearly going to come out victorious.
The music stopped. The gym went silent as the referee walked up the raised platform. They determine who serves first based on an unusual challenge: one player will stand on the service of their respective side and the athlete who runs to touch the net first is the team who serves first. The blowing of the whistle initiated the beginning of the game. It was a whimsical way to begin the friendly competition. Another way in which teams determine who serves first is a coin toss.
Bronx Science took no more than 2 sets to win the game. It was a very quick game, taking about less than an hour to complete 2 sets – each set is first to 25 points. Science kept their opponents scores well below 20 and dominated the game. Libero Lucas Lafleur ’25 (Co-Captain) complimented the team perfectly and was able to ward off Truman’s offense. Our own MB/RS Daniel Wu ’26 is young, but his blocks and attacks are controlled and powerful. His basketball experience is certainly a tool for the volleyball court. And our other co-captain Brian Kacupaj ’24 (MB), who ranks number one in the city for ‘most blocks,’ took charge of the net with his fear-inducing monster blocks.
It took less than an hour to close out the game but it was the second to last game to secure our spot in the playoffs, which we started playing on May 15th, 2024.
The players’ passion for the sport can be recognized by even an outside observer who has never played volleyball before. The players’ energetic demeanor, the sideline’s chants all culminate to create a positive energy that even spectators on the opposite side of the gym could feel.
I wasn’t fully aware of the team dynamics until I sat down in the small gym, waiting for a different volleyball game that Bronx Science was hosting to finish. The juxtaposition between the high energy and calm chats made me realize that volleyball is also a mental game.
I sat with my Coach Daniel Skilins and Co-Captains Lafleur and Kacupaj, discussing their thoughts about the team’s performance throughout the season.
Listening in, Skilins spoke very highly of his starting players and he sounded confident that the upcoming roster will be a very skilled team. Most of the preceding season’s roster was senior-dominant, so next year’s recruiting process will make it crucial to train the aspiring starting players that will dominate the court in a few years time. However, the team does have offensive players like Aiden Dowd ’26, and Wu, who I predict will take over the outside (OH) and right side (RS) positions next season.
We also have a freshman setter, Ryan Cheng ’27, and sophomore setter Kishan Patel ’26, according to the 2023-24 school year spring season roster. Setters are incredibly important since they control the tempo and demand the offense on our side. The team’s success is dependent on the setters’ performance. That’s why most setters in training on the team will not play a full game until the senior setter graduates.
Fast forward to May 17th, 2024.
The Bronx Science Boys’ Volleyball team lost the second round of the playoffs. It was an incredibly disappointing and unprecedented result. Considering that the team went to semifinals last season, we anticipated a better performance from this roster. Bittersweetly, the boys ended their season with Senior Night.
From an outsider’s perspective, the major difference between last year and this year’s lineup wasn’t an issue of skill, but rather one of attitude. When playing in less challenging games, energy tends to be incredibly low. Notably, during their regular season game against Truman, the sidelines were silent. Sitting at the stands, all I could hear was the bustling noise from the other team that would play in the proceeding tournament that was held in the Bronx Science gym.
Typically, players will have chants to boost morale during the game. After a kill or a block, the sideline makes noise to excite the lineup or even to intimidate the opponents. We had the occasional “BOOM” after blocks, but the energy was stagnant and inconsistent. It’s a consensus amongst the boys and girls teams that Bronx league games are slower paced. Truth be told, we get bored on court. But as Skilins reminds us relentlessly, those games are advantageous in other ways.
Coach admitted there would be a “lapse of reasoning,” which is his way of saying there were lulls during the game. As a player, it’s apparent when they play with their hearts compared to when they treat it as a job. In high-level tournaments held at Cardozo or Fort Hamilton, Coach said they played with all their might and they really pulled through when the team needed it. As an athlete myself, I think athleticism and effort should not be determined by an opposing team’s skill level, but rather the individual’s passion for the game.
I can’t speak for everyone on the team but I play to win. I’m hoping that with greater team bonding and unity, the boys will lead a better season next school year. It’s really shocking as a spectator and as someone who has volleyball experience to watch such talented players not compete at the same level I know they’re capable of. I felt that last year’s team was much closer emotionally; they played with the love they had for each other.
Many of the starters have club volleyball experience, some even ranking quite high in national competitions. Logistically, we should have made it much further in the City Championships. Next year, I anticipate a better attitude and drive. Our offense will be stacked and our defense has always been impeccably strong. I wouldn’t want to see a team with such talent, technique, and work ethic to fall short. At the end of the day, it is the players’ personal drive to keep improving and becoming better versions of themselves that keeps their spirit alive.
The boys started peppering – a series of passing, setting, and controlled attacks – to warm up. It wasn’t long until the bleachers started filling up with the opposing team’s spectators. Both teams did serving drills, passing drills, attacking drills, and everything possible to prepare for the upcoming match. It was evident that the skill sets of these teams were unmatchable; one was clearly going to come out victorious.