With one game left in the season, the South Windsor Junior Varsity boys’ volleyball team boasts a record of 8-7. However, attaining this record did not come easy for the team, as they picked up some much needed experience on the way while also shedding some shortcomings.
The team began the season in a dominant fashion, winning their first three games with scores of 2-0, 2-1, and 2-1 against Enfield, Conard, and Woodstock Academy, respectively. However, their fourth game of the season against Maloney was when things began to take an unfortunate turn as egos flared and overconfidence took over.
“I guess our team got kind of really cocky, basically from winning three games in a row, thinking that we can win more, but as a result of that, we were just way too cocky,” sophomore Ryan Lam told The Prowl.
This ‘cockiness’ cost the team two games in a row, one being the aforementioned game against Maloney and the other being against New Britain. Furthermore, in both games, the Bobcats were scoreless, illustrating just how serious their self-inflicted troubles were.
The consecutive losses made it clear to the team that something had to be done, and fast. Thankfully, the junior varsity squad was able to recoup, bringing itself out of the slump it had put itself in.
“We kind of toned it down, did some team bonding activities in practice, got together, talked about what to work on. And then, after that in our game back, after those practices, we mainly focused on helping each other as a team and not just playing our individual sport, and that helped us win our further games, and it’s still propelling us through the season,” sophomore Shriniketh Deepa Senthil Kumar said.
The ability to rebound from two crushing losses is one of the many qualities a well-rounded team can have, and it is on full display in South Windsor’s Junior Varsity boys’ volleyball team. As Kumar described, their perseverance and grit brought them out of their hole and taught them to work as a team, not as individuals.
“I appreciate the way they’re growing together and learning as a team,” sophomore Adrian Mordasiewicz commented.
Overall, this young team still has much to learn, however they appear to be more than ready after clearing the first of many hurdles on their path to success.
