This story was originally published in the April 4 edition of The Saratoga Falcon

Boys’ volleyball is kicking it up a notch for the second half of their season, with easy wins and good overall performance against other schools in the De Anza league.

“We’re working on our weaknesses and filling in for our losses because some people are injured,” said junior Shawyon Malek.
Seniors Kent Johnson and Mike Vetrone have been injured for most of the season; Johnson is currently able to play for one or two games, while Vetrone continues to struggle through a shoulder injury.

The team has come together during the latter half of the season, using team dinners after games to better understand each other and improve their teamwork on the court. This bonding has undoubtedly paid off. The Falcons have won their past three matches, even breaking a three-year losing streak against Mountain View.

3/26 Saratoga 3, Santa Clara 0
In another easy league win, Saratoga beat the Santa Clara Bruins in three straight games, putting team at a 8-4 season record and at a 5-2 SCVALs record. Seniors Doug Sabella and Andy Capek led the team with a combined 23 kills.

3/20 Saratoga 3, Mountain View 0
The Falcons dominated over Mountain View for the first win over the Toros in three years. After good blocks by Capek and eight consecutive points served by Malek, the team won 25-21 over Mountain View. Following the win, Saratoga ranked second only to the reigning league champ Homestead. The additional and unexpected highlight to this match came when the team learned that TV20 had filmed their Mountain View win. The match was re-played March 23rd at 7 and 11 p.m. on cable 13.

3/16 Willow Glen Tournament
Saratoga performed well at one of their larger tournament in the season. The team pulled out several wins during the weekend-long event and reached the semifinals. Led by blocker Capek, who had 26 kills and five blocks during the course of the tournament, the team crushed their opposition. This performance, combined with the stellar play of fellow seniors Vetrone and Sabella, have given Saratoga confidence for upcoming SCVALS matches in the coming weeks.

After this third powerful win, the Falcons remain cautiously optimistic about CCS performance. If this current winning streak continues, the league may have new champions at the end of the year.