Our Millikan Boys Volleyball team is ready to conquer another tough and long season this year. They have a very strong program throughout all levels. Throughout their current season, Varsity’s record is 5-2 (won 5, lost 2).
This year the team is in Division 3 of CIF in the Moore League (previous seasons they were in Division 1 and 2) and will be competing against other Moore League teams such as Wilson, Poly, Lakewood, Jordan, Cabrillo and Compton. Wilson and Poly are two of their more challenging opponents in the Moore League; they have lots of skilled upperclassmen and future college-level players.
Although the team has never won the CIF title, they’ve come very close, making it to the semi-finals the last two years! They hope to come further in the playoffs this year and possibly win the title.
Varsity Coach Johnson stated, “The experience of having fun playing our game is hopefully enough to get us through some of the more challenging matches.”
During preseason, they’ve prepared for these games with lots of indoor reps (skill repetition) during their scheduled fifth period class, and practicing on the beach volleyball team in the Fall.
This was the first year that Boys Beach Volleyball played in the Moore League. Most varsity players, as well as frosh and JV players, joined beach volleyball, and according to Coach Johnson, this helped enhance their skills for their indoor season.
They played Wilson on Mar. 12 and were faced with tough competition. Millikan won the first set 25-20, although Wilson won the next three sets taking the game. Furthermore, the next week the Rams won against Lakewood in three sets on Tuesday, Mar. 19. They had lots of great kills and great defense.
According to varsity player Evan Crucil, a sophomore in PEACE, the team played well during this match, even though they lost.
As for the rest of the season, the Rams are looking forward to improving. “We’re doing good with what we have but we could use some skill development and extra reps,” says Crucil. According to player John Cammarata, a junior in QUEST, the key things they need to work on are, “attitude, effort and communication,” to excel and succeed.
On Mar. 26, Varsity won against undefeated Poly in three sets. The game was very intense with lots of rallies and amazing plays. The Rams did really well and defeated the Jackrabbits along with their winning streak.
With their recent triumphs as well as losses, the Rams are continuing to pursue throughout their season. Come watch one of their games! The next home game is on Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 5pm in the Big Gym where students get in for free.
Mauricio Montanez • Apr 25, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On April 10, 2024, Rose Varley wrote an article titled “Millikan Boys Volleyball”. This was a very interesting article. What was quite captivating was the updates of the team and their information of not only their highs and their lows. The underlying tone is optimistic and hopeful especially to the losses described. This underlying tone is refreshing. Although, the detailed description of Millikan volleyball’s losses almost feels unnecessary. It feels as almost demeaning
comparing this year to last year, saying “This year the team is in Division 3 of CIF in the Moore League (previous seasons they were in Division 1 and 2)”. It feels unnecessary to mention this as it is not only mostly irrelevant, it is also demeaning. it seem to give the Millikan volleyball team
a reputation that they’re consistently doing worse regardless of their ups and downs. Although there is a lot to be said about the structure o the writing, I was very pleased to read about this and i now feel well informed.
Sincerely, Maurico Montanez
Ella • Apr 11, 2024 at 11:07 am
On April 10, 2024, Rose Varely wrote an article titled “Millikan Boys Volleyball”. This article was focused on the athletes, and their past season. She does a great job on emphasizing the extra work they are putting in to prepare them for CIF, and was very smart to include how they have done so far in league play. She includes facts that many of the readers may not have previously known, making her article interesting and informative. Her use of the quotes from the coach and a team member help validate her research, and bring in different opinions.
All in all, Barely did a great job in understanding what was needed in this article. She gave background information to the team, upcoming triumphs, and included photos and fun facts to keep the article moving smoothly. After reading, I became very well informed on the teams work they are putting in, and how they hope to finish off league and do well in CIF.
Natalia Duenas • Apr 11, 2024 at 10:50 am
The article encompasses details of the 2023-2024 seasons of the volleyball team at Millikan. Varley includes the division in which the team pertains to as well as their victories and losses. The exclamations and dialogue allow the reader to become invested and well-interested in the subject at hand. The author successfully creates a better understanding for the reader by including definitions of potentially confusing terms. For example, in paragraph five Varley states, “…they’ve prepared for these games with lots of indoor reps (skill repetition)…” Additionally, Varley’s use of dialogue provided by current team members and the head coach establishes credibility. Furthermore, the included images allow the audience to fully grasp the environment and team culture of the Millikan Boy’s volleyball team. Overall, the article is a great piece for informing readers about the Millikan Boy’s Volleyball Team and persuading them to come and support them at their games.
jack brown • Apr 11, 2024 at 9:29 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
On April 10, 2024, Rose Varley wrote an article titled “Millikan Boys Volleyball”. The article does a great job documenting the boys volleyball team throughout the season. The possibility of the team reaching semi finals and even winning the title is amazing, and Coach Johnsons mindset of “having fun is hopefully enough to get us through some of the more challenging matches” is definitely a great way to push through. The amount of training that they are doing in order to prepare for CIF is insane. The photos of the team are great too. They capture the team during the game and the sense of community they have. When varsity sophomore Evan Crucil stated that the team played well even though they lost, and then went on to show what they needed to work on shows the sophistication of the players. The article does a good job describing the dedication of the players and the perseverance they have in order to win the CIF title.
Sincerely,
Jack Brown
Kaden Serdengecti • Apr 11, 2024 at 9:17 am
Varley’s article was well-written and easy to read. Varley provided good context, allowing readers who may not be familiar with the accomplishments and standings of the men’s volleyball team at Millikan. I was unaware that our team had an outstanding record of five wins and two losses. Varley’s use of comments from players and the coach provided details and personal insight. The article was very detailed and enjoyable to read. The article was short, concise, and straightforward which prevented it from feeling run on. Her selection of what to add and what to exclude kept the article fresh and interesting.
The only issue with the article is that it included the date of the next home game as April 9th, however, the article was published on April 10th. Therefore if you read this article and were inspired to attend the match, it has already passed. Other than that, the article was informative. The article makes me wonder how far this team will go in the CIF season and it would be incredible to see their first title and an addition to our collection of CIF titles here at Millikan.
Emma Buth • Apr 10, 2024 at 1:34 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On April 10, 2024, Rose Varley wrote an article titled “Millikan Boys Volleyball”. This article discusses all the ups and downs that the team has had this season, whether that be ranging from their 5 wins all the way down to their two losses. Even during some of their harder competitions such as poly and wilson, they have persevered all the way through and still performed their best. They also just recently beat Poly, one of their biggest rivals which was a very good moment for our boys team. Although they did lose to Wilson, they continue to practice very hard and put in lots of work, in hopes of getting better and finally achieving the CIF title which they have been working hard for. They have been close though, so they hope to keep up the streak this season and achieve this title they’ve been working very hard for.
Sincerely,
Emma Buth