Freshmen take up challenges of varsity volleyball

March 12, 2013 — by Catherine Tang

For the past few years, the boys’ varsity volleyball team was composed of mainly juniors and seniors, but this year two freshmen, setter Chester Leung and libero Spencer Yen, made the team.

For the past few years, the boys’ varsity volleyball team was composed of mainly juniors and seniors, but this year two freshmen, setter Chester Leung and libero Spencer Yen, made the team.
Leung thinks being on varsity is a great experience because it gives him a chance to play with upperclassmen, who motivate him to improve.
“It inspires me to train harder so that I can match their level,” Leung said.
During the season, Leung has gotten to know the upperclassmen better, and he has made a lot of new friends whom he would not have met outside of volleyball. 
“He’s a pretty cool kid,” junior outside hitter Kevin Tran said. “When I first saw him at open gyms, I didn’t expect him to make varsity because he is a freshman, but it turns out he is actually a really good setter.”
Leung has quickly become friends with the upperclassmen on the team, including starters senior libero Sasan Sadaat, senior middle blocker Erik Martin, senior setter Elijah Yi and junior opposite Hareet Jhutty. 
“It’s interesting because I get to hear all the older kids talking about their social lives,” Leung said. 
He looks forward to practice because he gets to see his friends while playing a sport he enjoys. 
“I like it because it’s fun, and I can train myself to make lightning quick decisions and have quick reflexes,” Leung said.
Along with the excitement, Leung said winning motivates him to work hard and try his best.
Leung also plays baseball and basketball, but this year he chose volleyball over baseball because he found that he is better at volleyball. He started playing volleyball in sixth grade and continues to play club volleyball at Mountain View Volleyball Club outside of school. 
In the fall, Leung and his club team won a bid at the Far Westerns Tournament for a spot at the Junior National Championships in Reno, Nev., this summer. 
Leung looks forward to the school season and hopes for a great season.
“I think the season will be fun, but we'll have to go through the learning curve and go over a few bumps,” Leung said. The boys’ volleyball team had a pre-season game against Leland High School on Feb. 26 at home, where they won 3-0.
2 views this week