UC High’s Boys Beach Volleyball Team wrapped up the season as California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I runner up with their heads still held up with pride.

    Despite the defeat by the hands of Rancho Bernardo, the team takes this experience as a learning tool and looks back at it with a sense of anticipation towards improvement. “I am extremely proud of our last season,” said Boys Beach Volleyball Coach Brooke Choi. “We played three very competitive teams in the playoffs and competed at our highest levels of the season, finishing with a tough loss in the finals. The only real difficulty we faced was at Western League as it included the top teams and was such fierce competition. Although we lost to both Cathedral and Torrey Pines in League play, those two teams finished as champions and runner up in Open League.”

   “I think the season went great,” said Senior AJ Best. “We played well in the season, placing us in the Division I playoffs. We then made it to the finals and unfortunately lost; however, it was still a great result.”

   Senior Nate Muttera stated, “I think we had a lot of height and athleticism this past year, but just didn’t really utilize it to the fullest. At first we had problems working as a team and choosing positions for the players, but it was nothing we couldn’t get past.”

   To assist with improvement, the team reminisces on the good, the bad, and some lessons they learned to implement into the future. “Something I would do differently is stretch and do strength training a lot more as the lack of it caused me to gain shin pains,” said Muttera. “However, due to that, I was able to learn from seniors while playing in Division 1.  I learned some amazing new tactics and tips from those talented players.”

   “My worst game was probably against Torrey Pines this year,” said Best. “I arrived to the game late and played poorly due to not strectching and warming up properly beforehand.  Height also played a factor in this match as the size of our team was not very big. Many of the teams we played were a lot taller than us, and that made things extremely diffucult and not in our favor. It gave our opposing teams the advantage as they had an easier time to get down balls or spikes. I’d say my best game was probably our home playoff this year against Poway, Not only did our team have excellent coordination, but we also had a lot of fans show up and help us when we were down. Their support  was a key factor  in helping us win.”

   With this trial of teamwork, sweat and defeat, the team is already looking towards an even better future. “Already looking forward to next year,” said Choi. “I feel like if I were to get Seniors more involved in planning practices and supporting new incoming players, then we will definitely do better next season. We already have tremendous support from former players who provided role models, tough competition amongst team members in practice, and insight and instruction.”

  “I have no regrets, besides playing a bit better in the final game,” said Best. “This experience has been a very mellow and laid back one when compared to other sports. I intend to continue to do even better than I did last season, and I also encourage others to join as well. It’s just a fun time at the beach and we would love to have them.”

   Muttera stated, “We will use this year as a stepping stone toward our goals. Next year is where we will make our splash and I am looking forward to a great season next year.”