The boys volleyball team began their season with many expectations after having a 23-14 record the last few years. The team ended with a total record of 29-12 and a record of 6-2 in division one league. This record in the league games crowned them as Avocado League Champions in Division 1. Through the season, many players stepped up in times of need and became the team’s main leaders. Xavier O’Boyle (12) and Donovan Weber (12) emerged as leaders of the team as the season went on and became captains. 

“I think the season went well and we went beyond our expectations for the year and we really helped gain our program some confidence after last year,” O’Boyle said.

Throughout the season, many players became much better this season in terms of statistics. Weber finished fifth in the nation in assists and O’Boyle finished top 20 in hitting percentage in California, according to MaxPreps. As the players started out the season losing,  the team began to rise and the team relied on each other to improve and have each other’s backs. 

“This year was the most memorable for me and I assumed a leadership role for the team,” O’Boyle said. “I earned first team all league honors and a San Diego All Star game selection. I am very proud of this team as well as myself for reaching beyond the goals that were set in the beginning of the season.”

After losing four out of six of their first few games, the team had to change something.

“I learned how important it is to have energy at games, whether you’re on the bench or on the court,” Weber said. “Energy helped us get through our toughest games this season.”

After overcoming the losses in the beginning of the season, Weber continued to get better and became the most valuable player to many on the team due to his passing abilities and leadership on the court.

“I think our setter [Weber] was the biggest key to our success this year,” O’Boyle said. “The setter is like the quarterback of the volleyball team and if we did not have the best facilitator we would not have been this good of a team. I am grateful for Donovan’s leadership and setting that helped us win so often.”

Though the team this year wasn’t the strongest of the teams in recent history, O’Boyle found that this year’s team created so many more memories and was a much more fun and exciting team to be a part of. 

“We showed up every game knowing we had to put up a fight,” Weber said. “We had some good games and some not so good, but I think our teamwork and attitude really helped us propel through the season.”

Many games in the season gave the team trouble and they had to persevere through the pressure. Both games against Sage Creek were tight and Westview ended up winning one and losing one on March 8th and March 23rd.  Due to the hardships at the beginning of the season, persevering  as a team was important. 

This worked for the team as they ended up winning seven straight games, their longest streak of the season. Through those games, they were able to beat Poway, who kept the score close in the games, and Sage Creek, who they later lost to in the season. The team relied on their energy to carry them through the close games they had. 

Overall, the players found that the season was a success and they were able to rely on their teamwork, energy and friendship to make a strong winning team. Throughout the season, the team overcame many obstacles and had the ability to win the league which last happened in 2018. They won the league on the last game of the season only on head to head advantage over Sage Creek. The team was also able to  play well in CIFs after beating Eastlake in round two, they later fell to Carsbad in five sets in the Open Division Semifinals.