UC High has a new Boys Beach Volleyball Team this year that is striving for success this season. According to Coach Brooke Choi, this is the first year that boys beach volleyball has been considered an official CIF sport at UC High. The district does not fund the team, according to UC High’s website (sandiegounified.org). The team practices every Tuesday at the sand volleyball courts and plays in matches every Thursday.

According to Sophomore George Kinshofer, the team’s players are divided into four pairs labeled A, B, C and D. These four pairs compete at the matches every Thursday. Senior McCoy Knapp and Junior Michael Waara comprise the A team, or current top seed, while Senior Seth Tylski and Junior Skyler Tylski compose the B team. Other than those two pairs, there are four other players on the team who are eager for the upcoming season as well.

The upcoming season is full of some highly anticipated games. The team played against Francis Parker High on volleyball courts located in Ocean Beach on September 17 and then against the [Mission Bay High] Buccaneers on September 24. Choi stated, “The [La Jolla High] Vikings, our [opponents in our] first match, were our toughest team to compete against, followed by the Lancers. I also believe we will be very competitive against the [Point Loma High] Pointers team and the [Grossmont High] Foothillers team.” The season has been full of exciting moments, which will likely continue to dominate the rest of the season.

The team has been growing in skill. Choi said, “It is wonderful to see the boys’ skills, ball control and knowledge of the game improving with every competition and practice.”

In addition to learning how to play the game, the team has also been enjoying themselves and having fun, an important component of the sport. Junior Ben Lolly-Wilson said, “It is fun getting to know everyone on the team and also smashing the other opponents.” The team members work together to create a positive learning environment while also becoming better players. Senior Carsten Lester said,“My favorite part about beach volleyball is getting better with every match played.” The team will hopefully have fun while also crushing the competition.

Choi is also greatly looking forward to the upcoming season. She said, “It is very exciting to share this quickly growing sport, and I think it could be the most fun team to participate in at the school.”

Playing in its first season ever at UC High, the Boys Beach Volleyball team shows promise of spiking to victory and establishing a lasting, proud presence at our school.