Volleyball is a sport well known for its immense difficulty, requiring excellent teamwork consistently in order to retain a lead on the opposing team. These hardships are prevalent in every game no matter the team, and their effects are seen among this season’s boys varsity volleyball.
The volleyball team ended their season 9-16 and 1-3 in the district, ranking fourth. Their season started rocky, with a 3-0 loss against Lake Brantley, but they bounced back early in the season, going on a four-game win streak against Crooms Academy, Seminole, Faith Christian and Lake Highland Prep.
A relatively new player to the team is sophomore Matthew DeArmas. This is his second year on the team and first on varsity. As a newcomer to the team, it’s been surprisingly easy for DeArmas to find his spot on the team.
“My favorite part of [the season] is the team-building that we do every practice,” DeArmas said.
This season has seen immense growth from past seasons, especially for individual players such as Kenny Williams. As a junior this year, Williams has become a key player of the team, even leading in assists with an incredible 373 total. That setting is something that he has improved greatly upon.
Setting is one of the most challenging positions to play in the sport, due to the entire set riding on the setter’s proper role. In order to assume the role of a setter, a player must be perfectly synchronized with the rest of the team, especially the outside hitter, who serves as the usual target to hit the ball over the net at the beginning of the set.
“ [The most difficult part of the season] was setting, [because] I’m not a traditional setter, so I had to basically learn how to set and then set for the whole season.” Williams said.
Another key member of the team is junior Travis Mount. A third-year player on the team, Mount has become a cornerstone of the team with his prestigious stats. He leads the team in aces, kills and receptions, with 61, 293, 544, respectively.
“[To improve for the next season, we want to] win more games, I personally don’t like any kinds of errors,” Mount said.
In order to win more games, the team needs to focus on working together as a singular unit rather than individual players. This way they can cut back on errors in their routines or with improper communication.
The team has officially ended their 2025-2026 regular season, with their last game and senior night being a 3-0 win against Lake Highland Prep.
“My only goal is to win the last game,” Williams said.
Next up for the Lions is districts, which they’ll enter in 4th place with a record of 1-3. Their first match, on April 21st, will be against Seminole High School in the 2026 FHSAA quarterfinals.
