Boys' volleyball mauls Magruder Colonels

NELSON H. KOBREN GYMNASIUM, April 24 –

Following a defeat from rival school Richard Montgomery on Monday, the Blazers (7 - 1) effortlessly won the battle against the Magruder Colonels (6 - 4). The team displayed well-tuned team work throughout the game, making sure to call the ball and pass effectively.

While the Blazers won in three straight and decisive sets, 25 - 8, 25 - 11 and 25 - 19, they did not play their best. "We need to take the game more seriously," senior middle hitter Sina Shahamatdar said.

The Blazers gradually lost motivation throughout the game. By the third set, the team allowed the Colonels to get in the lead. A couple minutes into the third set, Magruder made a kill, bringing the score into the Colonels' favor 8 - 9. Though Blair was able to catch up quickly, the Blazers didn't try very hard throughout the rest of the set.

But the offense remained strong, especially with Shahamatdar's attack-bocks and sophomore outside hitter Andy Zhang's kills. Zhang led the pack with a total of 11 kills in this game. On the other hand, the Blazers lost a few points due to members who hit out carelessly. "I think we were a little too arrogant," junior middle hitter Michael Zhang said.

As the third set drew to a close, intense back-and-forth volleying between the Colonels and Blazers brought the audience to the edge of their seats. The Colonels returned a powerful spike, setting a back-and-forth volley into motion. In the end, the Blazers hit the ball out, giving the point to Magruder and bringing the score to 24 - 19. After Magruder's serve, junior co-caption Robert Huang scored the game point by successfully blocking and bringing the score to 25 - 19. But the Blazers were careful to keep their victory cheers to a respectful minimum. "We have a tendency to celebrate before our team scores," senior co-captain Pin-Joe Ko said. "It makes it easier for the other team."

The Blazers' 17-point lead in the first set was largely due to competent serving, especially from Zhang and Huang. "We served very well," Ko said. "We had a lot more consistency." The team came out with a lot of energy, maintaining more than a 10-point lead for most of the set. The second set followed suit, although the Blazers were notably less enthusiastic.

Though he is satisfied with the win, Shahamatdar wants the team to work on returns in the future. "We need to not hit straight down, but to the side," he said.

Boys' volleyball plays its next home game against Blake on April 26 at 7:00 p.m.