Varsity Boys’ Volleyball Digging Through Almont League Ranks

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WESLEY TSAI
Staff Writer

The varsity volleyball team maintains a record of 7-3. Ending the season in third place in league, the Moors, at one point in the season, ranked eighth in Division Three in the Southern Section of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rankings. The Moors are ranked sixth place in the San Gabriel Valley.

“This season has been a fluctuation due to my injury, but overall it has been a winning season. The progress from last year is tremendous and we exceeded our expectations of doing better from last year. No matter what happens, I’m proud to be the team’s captain,” captain Marcel Kurniawan said.
Toward the middle of the season, the team faced an obstacle that took a toll on the team. Kurniawan, starting setter, was sent to a hospital for an emergency surgery due to appendicitis, which took a toll on the team. Senior Marcel Kurniawan had to step down from his position, providing an opportunity for his younger brother, sophomore Greg Kurniawan, to play. In his first game against rivaling San Gabriel, Greg Kurniawan took on the pressure but the Moors fell due to serve/receive errors.

“Marcel played an important role on our team, so when I heard that he could not play for the rest of the season, I was devastated. However, his replacement, Greg Kurniawan, is more than capable enough to fill in for Marcel,” senior backside hitter Mitchell Fang said.

The atmosphere and culture is definitely different compared to last year, according to Head Coach Charles Tran. With the Moors holding an overall record of 21-6, the Moors have won more games this year than in the past three years combined.

“The difference from the last few years and this year is the commitment from the players. There is more enthusiasm and team chemistry. For the next year, out of 12 members currently on the varsity program, only four seniors are graduating, leaving next year’s team comprised mostly of returners. All I can say is [that] we better win it all next year,” Tran said.

The Moors played their first CIF game on May 13 against the Santa Ana Saints.