The Southern Lehigh boys’ volleyball team has begun their 2025 season, marking the start of exciting games ahead. The team has new goals for this year, aiming to develop new team members and defend the district title. After losing many key players last year, the team is led by seven juniors with nine underclassmen.
“The absence of the graduates has been tough because six of the seven were starters,” said Coach Don West. “Hansen Fan was our go-to player, and we lack that one player that can take over a game this year.”
Seven of these underclassmen are freshmen, who are entirely new to volleyball altogether. All the players got to know each other during pre-season when Coach West hosted open gyms. After witnessing the natural bond between these players and their willingness to learn new skills, Coach West became excited for the season.
“The freshmen amaze the coaches everyday with their work ethic and how much they improve every practice and game,” said Coach West.
Last year’s seven seniors, six of them starters, made their mark on the Southern Lehigh boys’ volleyball team by winning a district title, leaving big shoes for the underclassmen to fill. Since there are no seniors on the team this year, all the players and coaches are working hard to unify the team. Leading the way are juniors Chase Benner, Zach Roman, Henry Parrish, Tyler Dittus, Nate Bukta, Andrew Pachence, and Cavan King-Vlass. Among them, Roman is the only returning junior with substantial varsity experience.
“No one on JV has played volleyball before, besides Mason Williams and Jeremy [Hoch]. So it’s been a learning curve,” said freshman Leonard Martin. “The coaches are great though, and we’re learning a lot about how to play.”
Because volleyball is a sport based on teamwork and trusting your teammates, the absence of the 2024 graduates left gaps in experience and leadership. This year, the team is counting on younger players to step up and guide others.
“I would say Chase and Henry are stepping up. Chase is helping by being positive when anyone makes mistakes, making sure our energy is always high,” said Roman, a junior who plays varsity. “And Henry is always there to bring the energy and entertainment when anything big happens like a massive block or a great swing.”
The players have proven themselves hard-working, learning and benefiting from practices, which typically include various drills that help players with their skills, and a fun game at the beginning or end.
The Southern Lehigh boys volleyball team doesn’t belong to a league, since Notre Dame and Southern Lehigh are the only boys volleyball programs in the Colonial League. Compared to the girls volleyball team which is limited to playing in the Colonial League, the boys volleyball team faces a more diverse area of competition, mainly playing East Penn Conference teams. The boys play against competition from Parkland, Emmaus, Nazareth, Northampton, Easton, Liberty and others schools as well.
Coach West describes how his goal for this year, and always, is for the team to get better everyday.