Volleyball Update #3: May 15th, 2024
Refreshed after coming back from break, the boys volleyball team was prepared to put in the work. Due to the CCNY protests the gym was closed, and the team had very few practices. But this didn’t impact the team’s performance when it came down to game time.
The first game after break was on Wednesday against the hardest team in their division, Stuyvesant. Even though both teams hadn’t practiced for nearly two weeks, HSMSE and Stuyvesant were fired up and ready to play some intense volleyball. The first set was close, yet Stuyvesant pulled away, winning 25 to 20. HSMSE had played extremely well and knew they had what it took to execute in the second set. HSMSE won the next set by a close margin, 25 to 23. The third set went down in the same manner with HSMSE winning again 25 to 23. It was a heroic comeback. On offense, both Anand Schwabe (‘24) and Marcel Kottmann (‘25) each had 9 kills. On defense, Ruben Seaman (‘24) had a total of 5 blocks and Daniel Lwin (‘26) had 6 digs. The team was excited and the playoffs were back in sight.
Later that week HSMSE went on to play against MLK and Bayard Rustin, beating team MLK 2 to 1 and Bayard Rustin 2 nil.
The team is officially in the playoffs! Follow @hsmsevb on Instagram to get updates on their playoff schedule.
Update 2: April 18th 2024
It was a busy and dramatic week for our HSMSE boys’ volleyball team. On Friday night, the team was hyped up and ready to take on one of the hardest teams in its division. In the face of the daunting Manhattan Center for Science and Math (MCSM), HSMSE had little hope of victory but was ready to give it their all.
During the first set, Daniel Lwin (Class of ‘26) performed relentless driving serves, causing disorder on the other side of the court. With the team’s hard work, we won the first set with relative ease, with a 6-point lead. Sadly, the team ended up losing the second set by a 9-point margin. After a quick huddle led by Coach Diunte, the team felt ready to win the match in the third set. To win, the team had to tune out the pressure of playing under the cheers of more than one hundred MCSM fans and focus on the basic movements of the game. Brett Stillman (Class of ‘26) and Sean Chew (Class of ‘25) played incredibly successfully, passing fast-moving serves and hits. All the while, Anand Schwabe (Class of ‘24) made kill after kill. The team was up 24 to 16, and they knew victory was imminent. Under the MCSM fans’ roars, the team failed to execute. They lost 8 consecutive points to be tied at 24-24, with two points needed to go home victorious. HSMSE, feeling the pressure, lost those two points, and MCSM won the match.
The team, devastated, was ready to go home after this long Friday afternoon. Spirits were low, but the team was looking forward to a victorious rematch in a few weeks’ time. Despite Friday’s tragic loss, the boys were ready for a full-day tournament at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens the next morning.
— Stefan Kottmann
Update 1: April 3rd 2024
The HSMSE volleyball team is led by Coach Diunte and this season’s 17 player roster. Filled with returning and new athletes, they have been working hard to prepare for an exciting season. As a part of their preparation, they scrimmaged against James Monroe HS and won 3-1 in a brilliant victory. They followed this up with a 2-1 win in a scrimmage against Walton HS. March 27th marked their season opener where they played their first game against Stuyvesant, which they lost 0-2. Despite the loss, they bounced back the following day in their scrimmage with Aviation HS and won 2-1. The game highlighted Anand’s amazing hits and blocks as well as Sean’s impressive digs and serves. Following their scrimmage, I spoke to Ansel Shirasu-Hiza who shared his outlook: “The team has great chemistry and we are trying to build on last year as well as develop culture. We have a great team but it showed in the game that we can always improve and that is what we are working towards. High hopes going into this new season.” So far, there has been no shortage of good and bad moments, and the team is looking to pick up their first regular season win on April 3rd against MLK!
— Lucas Dotoli