Boys’ volleyball sets up for successful season

William Wenrich-Quinones, Staff Reporter

April 30, 2024

Senior Evan Dittus prepares his serve against Dieruff.

Returning from an extremely successful 17-4 2022-2023 season with a state playoff berth, the Southern Lehigh boys’ volleyball team aims for new accomplishments this spring.

This season, the team is led by seven returning seniors – Owen Cobb, Evan Dittus, Hansen Fan, Samuel Magallanes, Joseph O’Rourke, Ethan Poirot, and Jack Welsh – and they have big expectations.

These expectations greatly stem from every player’s hard work throughout the year.

“A lot of us play club through the fall and winter,” said Fan. “It’s a really great way to play against strong talent and sharpen our skills in the offseason.”

Not only has this work improved the skills of each player, but it has given them more knowledge of the game.

“Our seniors this year are very experienced on the court,” head coach Mr. Donald West said. “Although we did graduate some tough seniors to replace, our seniors this year have really stepped up in new positions and with new responsibilities.”

Their strong sense of responsibility is only one positive trait exemplified by this group of seniors.

“My teammates are the strongest people I know physically and mentally,” O’Rourke said. “They’re really compassionate and understanding, so I look forward to playing with them everyday.”

This strong bond between teammates has boosted morale and built relationships that extend beyond the sport itself.

“My teammates are my best friends off the court,” Fan said. “That friendship shows through our bond on the court as we really trust each other and have great chemistry with one another.”

That friendship and chemistry seems to be the secret to their success.

“Volleyball is a six-person sport,” O’Rourke said. “I could never be successful without any of my teammates.”

Building up this bond with one another has continuously improved their desire to win. Their dedication to each other discourages them from letting each other down.

“We hustle everyday in practice because we want to win so badly,” Poirot said. “I never want to let my teammates down, because I know how much this sport means to all of us.”

This dedication dramatically improves their odds of success this season and their chances at a state title.

“We’re a really competitive team this year,” O’Rourke said. “We’ve worked so hard in the offseason and preseason, and we have a really great chance of winning states.”

With the season in full swing, coaches and players alike know they must continue to improve.

“My players work really hard in practice and they’re always trying to get better,” West said. “Our goal right now is to go out on the court and get better every day.”

About the Contributor

William Wenrich-Quinones, Staff Reporter

Struggling to fill his courses and looking for a fun elective with his friends, William Wenrich-Quinones chose to take Newspaper Journalism and join the Spotlight staff. Now, Will reflects on the time in class spent struggling to understand the “New York Times” games or CNN 10, as well as the fulfilling hours spent working on his many articles. “I loved it; I just got to do something I love with my best friends,” Wenrich said. “I also got to meet new friends and interview people I would not have met before.” In the short span of a year, Wenrich has contributed five articles, his personal favorite being “Artificial Intelligence impacts learning and education,” an opinion article about the influence of artificial intelligence in school. “It was something interesting, and was genuinely impacting myself and my classmates,” he said. In class, he enjoyed a work-play balance with his friends, the classes spent outside being a favorite highlight for him. Some of his fondest memories were spent in journalism with his long-time and new friends. “I enjoyed all the good times and laughs with my best friends [seniors Thomas Morris and Luke Fisher],” he said. “[I also enjoyed] getting closer with other classmates [including sophomore Avi Shah and junior Talan Canzano].” In addition to The Spotlight, Wenrich participated in Varsity Soccer, National Honor Society, Student Council and Angel 34 in school. He was also elected the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) president for the 2023-2024 school year. Outside of school, Wenrich is an avid pickleball player and an amateur ice cream connoisseur, with peach being his current favorite flavor. He plays pickleball daily, and enjoys good competition. His favorite players are the John brothers. In college, he plans on continuing his pickleball hobby. Wenrich will attend Northeastern in the fall and plans on majoring in economics. However, he is unsure if he will stick with this major as he thoroughly enjoys history and business as well. He knows how unpredictable the future is and accepts it. “I’m honestly not nervous,” he said. “I believe that everything will work out in the end, and worrying only makes things worse.” Throughout high school, Wenrich developed a strong work ethic and learned the importance of studying hard. However, he believes incoming freshmen should focus more on the fun in life. “Love life; you only get one,” he said. “Cherish the time spent in high school; it goes by so fast.”