The Braintree High School boys volleyball team took part in an exciting jamboree at Quincy High School this past Saturday. The event was a great opportunity for the team to get back on the court and prepare for the upcoming season. They played several short matches against different schools, giving the players a chance to work on their volleyball skills and build team chemistry. The Wamps are looking forward to using this experience to get ready for their first official game.
Head Coach, Roberta Stannard. led the boys team to victory last season and is ready to do the same again this year. She has been coaching for a very long time and is confident in her coaching styles.
“This year’s team is probably one of the more cohesive groups of guys I’ve ever had so far at Braintree High,” says Stannard.
She feels that because of all of the work the boys have put into the off-season, she can just let them play. Roberta plans practices based on what team they will play next, that way they are prepared for what they will face in the upcoming week. She trusts this team and thinks that they benefit from her more laid back style of coaching this year.
“It should be a fun year for me. I might be able to actually sit down and watch them rather than be up and running around.”
One thing that Coach Stannard pointed out was how much boys volleyball at Braintree has evolved over the years. During her first couple years of coaching, there were barely enough boys to make a team. None of the boys played volleyball, knew the technique or even the dynamic of the sport, now it is a competitive program filled with talent and passion for volleyball. She described this as the biggest turn around.
When regarding the jamboree she mentioned that overall they played well, she thinks that the team chemistry is helpful and everyone’s willingness to cooperate makes this team a winning team.
“They’re dedicated to it, and they understand that. It’s basically whatever you need, coach, whatever the team needs.”
Dion Li, a senior player on the Braintree Boys Volleyball team, has been a key contributor since his sophomore year, helping the team achieve success in previous seasons. Reflecting on the recent jamboree, Dion expressed confidence in the team’s overall performance and energy but acknowledged areas for improvement:
“I feel like we are overall a very good team and we bring good energy to the court. But as always, many teams do make mistakes. I feel like we made some careless mistakes like not communicating well enough and our serve receive. We will work and improve on these mistakes during practice this week.”
One of Dion’s personal goals is to hit one-thousand assists, as he is the team’s setter. This is a very rewarding goal for setters because it takes a whole team effort to get to this personal goal.
“Me personally, my goal for myself is hitting one thousand assists because as a senior, this is my last year to get the chance to accomplish this.”
The team’s collective ambition is to reach the league championship, a goal that has been a driving force for their hard work and motivation:
“I feel like that was something we really pushed for last season and it really motivated us to work hard and accomplish it.”
Overall Dion is very proud of how the team has evolved over the years and with how successful Braintree was at the jamboree. With three wins and one tie, the season is looking bright and the boys are ready to win.
Another player on the boy’s team, Joe Vu is Braintree’s Libero/defensive specialist. He has been on the team since he was a freshman. He agrees with lots of points that Dion made.
“I definitely want to make a bigger difference on the team this year.” says Joe.
Having been a rotation player last year, Joe has been dedicating time to off-season practice with a club team, aiming to become a “full time starter.”
Both Dion and Joe identify communication as a critical area for improvement. They recognize that enhancing communication on the court and team chemistry is essential to prevent silly mistakes and better their performance.
Both players and coach agree that the jamboree was a good learning experience, and the team is excited to keep improving as they get ready for the regular season.
