“I enjoy how much easier it is to make new friends through volleyball, and I also enjoy the competitive aspect of it.” said senior Tyson Perkins. Even though men’s volleyball has been an olympic sport for well over 50 years, women’s volleyball has grown much faster and volleyball has been a much more common sport amongst female athletes. Many sports like basketball, soccer, football, and wrestling are considered by audiences to be a “man’s sport”. This is the first year that boys volleyball has been a sport offered at Annandale. Judging by how their debut season is going, Annandale will have a great boys volleyball squad for the years to come because of the uber-athletic students pulled from all sports. It is a great way to connect with classmates and other students.
Most of Annandale’s volleyball team is composed of players from other sports, but there are a select few who have been practicing volleyball their entire lives. With a wide range of ages, our varsity boys volleyball team is very diverse with players ranging from freshman to senior. Many other players see the sport and its uniqueness from a different perspective. “It’s very fast paced, and the IQ, toughness, stamina, strength and coordination that it takes to play through an entire game is special.” said Senior Logan Noyes, “I get most of those attributes from some of the other sports I play, and there are lots of similarities and differences between volleyball and the other popular sports.” Volleyball is unique because of the idea of keeping the ball off of your side, in most sports, you would want to have possession of the ball.
On Monday, October 14, 2024, the Annandale Atoms took their talents to Lewis High School and defeated the Lancers with a score of 3-1. “The majority of volleyball is mental, and we were able to block out all of the distractions and get in the zone to win on Monday.” said Junior Nathan Holder, “In sports, you are always second guessing yourself and having doubts before big moments, but it is overcoming the mental aspects of the game.” Although AHS was able to win this game, it was just a stepping stone and hopefully a preview of what’s to happen in the future. “Yes, we won, but we are looking forward. We have our eyes set on winning the district, regional, and maybe even state championships.” Their goals are big, and maybe far-fetched, but not impossible.
Senior Tyson Perkins also says, “Some of the coordination, IQ, and stamina required in volleyball has helped me in my other sports like basketball and soccer.
If you’re interested in playing volleyball, it might be a little too late this year, but hone your skills and get ready to try out next year! Come support the Annandale Atoms tonight (Tuesday, October 22, 2024) when they take on the Lewis Lancers at home, and then in their final game of the regular season (Thursday, October 24, 2024) as they match up against the Mount Vernon Majors. We have high hopes for this game against Mount Vernon because it is our last regular season game, and it would be great to end on a win, so go and cheer on the Atoms!
