The Kennedy Boys Varsity Volleyball team came out strong against Grant, winning in 3 sets in a match full of energy, teamwork and exciting plays.
From start to finish, Kennedy’s mix of smart offense, tight defense, and team effort proved too much for Grant to handle.
In the first set, Kennedy started fast, putting pressure on Grant and building an early lead with strong serves and smart attacks. Grant fought back, tying the score at 12-12, and then took a small lead in the middle of the set.
Kennedy fell behind late, trailing 22-18, but the team stayed focused. With a combination of good teamwork, quick reads, and strong hits. Kennedy came back to tie it 24-24 and eventually won the set 27-25. It was a close, exciting start that set the tone for the rest of the match.
The second set began with both teams trading points in the early moments, keeping the score close.
Kennedy slowly pulled ahead thanks to solid defense and consistent offense, forcing Grant into mistakes. By the middle of the set, Kennedy had a clear lead at 11-6. Grant tried to fight back, scoring a few points, but Kennedy stayed in control and closed the set 25-17.
*Kennedy is current staff writer for the Clarion. (Leah Herndon)
The team’s ability to stay focused and adjust to Grant’s strategy helped them keep their lead.
In the third set, Grant made several mistakes that gave Kennedy easy points. Kennedy continued to put pressure on their opponent, building a big lead early.
Grant looked frustrated and tired. Allowing Kennedy to take the advantage, keeping up strong serves and smart plays. Even when Grant tried to score more points toward the end, Kennedy stayed consistent and won the set 25-19, completing the sweep and showing their dominance.
When asked what the team did particularly well, Senior Jordan Li (#4) points to his serve.
“My serves were pretty lethal,” Li said. “I got us a few points and I put us in a good position.”
Sophomore Jackson Vang (#3) added defense as another factor.
“Probably just defense,” Vang said. “And that’s it.”
Finally, Senior Joshua Agcaoili (#1) points toward his perfect receive.
“My favorite is when I do a perfect receive,” Agcaoili simply said.
On adjusting to Grant’s play style, Li says Kennedy kept their cool in order to put pressure.
“We kept our cool,” Li said. “We read them early on, they kept doing the same thing so it was pretty easy to read.”
Vang backed this up, elaborating more with Grant’s play style.
“I think we adjusted because one thing they liked a lot was their serves and their defense,” Vang simply stated.
These adjustments allowed Kennedy to stay in control, even when Grant tried to push back.
Team energy was another key factor in the win, as explained by Li.
“Really good,” he says. “We kept our energy up when we were really down and we kept it way higher when we were up.”
Vang elaborated more on this energy.
“We definitely have a lot of energy,” Vang said. “It’s just, whenever we’re really down, I think that’s when the bench starts to be low a lot.”
Agcaoili called the atmosphere “very cheerful.” The team’s energy on the court and support from the bench kept them motivated throughout the match, especially during the close first set.
Kennedy’s combination of strong serves, smart reads and high energy helped them take control of the match and keep Grant on the defensive. Fans left the gym excited, knowing the team showed both skill and determination in every set.
