After the excitement that came last school year with the first chapter of the high school boys’ volleyball team, it’s no surprise that the team was ready to hit the ground running as their first game of the school year came along. Horizon Honors took on Skyline High School on Tuesday, Mar. 3, in their home gym.

As the first set began, the two teams looked evenly matched and the score went back and forth quite regularly, causing the score to be tied for the first several points of the game. The Coyotes had very strong hitters, but the Eagles were scrappy and had multiple saves that got the team and the crowd pumped. Senior Kyle Hickie had a large run of serves that lead to Horizon Honors winning the first set 25 to 20.

The enthusiasm of that victory carried into the second set – junior Josh Drapkin started off his team with a kill, and there were never-ending blocks from the Eagles in the front row. Horizon Honors immediately took the lead with a score of 12 to five. However as the set continued, Skyline was able to catch up, bringing the score to 18 to 18. Luckily, Hickie finished the set in Horizon Honors’ favor again, thanks to his countless blocks that ended play after play.

As the third set rolled along, the great blocking of Horizon Honors continued. Again, the score was often tied, and with a little more communication between the boys on the court, the team may have been able to take a greater lead. Thanks to sophomore Trevor Weary, an incredible player both in the front and back row (which is impressive due to his height), many of the what seemed to be endless volleys were finished in the Eagle’s favor. However, it wasn’t enough to finish the set completely, and Skyline took the victory in the third set.

Because Skyline won the third set, the game continued on into a fourth set. If Horizon Honors won this set, the game would be finished. If Skyline won, the teams would win one more set to 15. Things started off a little bumpy, and Skyline quickly took the lead with 13 to 4. With Skyline still in the lead, the energy and the amount of talking of the Eagles was gradually dropping. Senior Patrick McPherson was able to pick up the energy a little near the end with his constant blocking, but it was not enough to finish off the set, which ended in Skyline’s favor again: 25 to 16.

The fifth and final set would require a large energy boost for Horizon Honors if they wanted to come out on top. Things started off on the quiet side, but the Eagles picked up the intensity and tied the game. It wasn’t tied for long though, as Weary and McPherson were able to bring in multiple points for their team. Unfortunately, the strong hitters from Skyline won even more points, and the boys finished the game with a score of 10 to 15.

Despite the loss, it’s very obvious to see that the boys of Horizon Honors have improved immensely since last school year. The varsity coach of Skyline spoke to the Horizon Honors varsity coach Lisa Barlow after the game, complimenting them on the game and how much he noticed they improved from last year. This is only the first game of the season and quite an exciting game it was. The boys look like they have a great season ahead of them.