PEN Volleyball Begins Season With Success
• Panthers begin season with strong wins and look set for Bay League competition.
As winter sports come to an end and spring sports start to warm up, the Peninsula High School boys varsity volleyball team kicked off its season with a win against Torrance High two weeks ago.
Last year’s team had an outstanding overall record of 24-9. But in order to make the CIF playoffs in 2018, the Panthers had to place in the top three in the Bay League. They missed that chance with losses to Mira Costa, Redondo and Palos Verdes and placed 4th in the League. The season ended, however, on a high note with a win against rival Palos Verdes.
The Panthers still ranked highly in Division 2, and two of their seniors last year currently play collegiate volleyball at Concordia Irvine and UC Merced.
Senior John Skoblar says that “Our chemistry has always been good because we take our sport seriously, but not too seriously, we always enjoy our time in practice and outside of the gym together making us a tight group.”
Many of the seniors on the team this year are very close after spending the last four years of high school together. Playing volleyball only adds onto the memories and bonds they have with one another.
There are many parts of being on a team that make it the most unforgettable. Through working with a team, you learn the value of teamwork and communication, and make friends you may know for life.
A team also helps students to develop social skills and to learn how to work well with others in completing tasks. It emphasizes the individual role of each player, just like an emphasis on a job in a company.
“My favorite part of being on the team is our pregame chant when we just get together and yell while someone dances in the middle of the circle,” said senior Josh Kahen. “We have team dinners and do team ‘peppering’ drills to help us get better while having some fun with our teammates.”
After starting out on fire so far this season, Kahen is feeling confident in the team and already his favorite memory is “…beating the prestigious number 1 ranked team, Bellflower, in 3 sets” this season.
The Panthers are currently 8-3 after beating Bishop Mongomery Tuesday to extend its winning streak to three games.
The team is excited and prepared for what it is to come this season and continues to work hard every day. Skoblar’s favorite part of being on the team this year is “Just being able to go out there and ball with my brothers.”
