On Saturday, the boys volleyball team will compete in the Johnson County Boys Volleyball Tournament at Greenwood Christian Academy.

New team member freshman Abram Nickolaus said he will individually perform well and so will the team. 

“I think that the team will do well because we have a lot of experienced volleyball players who have a lot of motivation. I am a new and developing volleyball player, but I am improving a lot so I think that I will do well,” Nickolaus said.

Captain and libero, junior Joshua Thanga, said he feels positive about the tournament.

“I feel really excited and confident going into the tournament. Our team has been working hard at practice and building good chemistry, so I think we’re prepared to compete. I also think our team has a really good chance to do well if we stay focused and play the best we can,” Thanga said.

Junior Nathan Ven is also confident.

“I’m feeling confident in my performance because I have been practicing every part of the game. I think the team will do a little better than last year which was an okay year,” Ven said.

Members of the team have been practicing what they specialize in.

“To prepare for the tournament, we are practicing what we specialize in. I’ve been practicing hitting the ball to the best spot for the middle hitters to jump and connect with. Other special players like our libero’s have been working on receiving serves,” junior Van Lalrosang said.

Thanga is the libero and is the best defensive player who focuses on controlling the ball and passing to the setter.

“As a team, we’ve been practicing a lot, working on our rotations, communication, and improving our overall teamwork. Being a libero makes it really exciting when the team is able to make a big play or go on a good run together. It makes the game really fun to be part of,” Thanga said. 

While individual improvement is extremely important, so is growth across the entire team.

“I have practiced 2 hours everyday Monday through Friday leading up to the tournament. As a team, we have helped and motivated each other in order to improve not just as singular players but as a team,” Nickolaus said.

Lalrosang said that every game will present a challenge for the team; however, he also said that they can handle anything that can be thrown at them.

“The games we play at the tournament will be challenging, but I think we will rise to the challenge and play to the best of our abilities. I feel indifferent to the challenges, because they are just walls we have to climb to reach success,” Lalrosang said. 

Thanga also said that every game at the tournament will be challenging.

“Honestly, I think every team in the tournament will be tough to compete against. In tournaments like this, every team is there to win and everyone is playing their best,” Thanga said.

Nikolaus said that Perry Meridian will be the toughest school, and Beech Grove will be one of the easiest.

“I think Perry will be the hardest team for two reasons. The first reason is that they have more experienced players compared to us. The second reason is that Perry has a lot more team members in general. I think Beech Grove will be one of the easiest not because they are bad but because we want to beat them so bad,” Nickolaus said.