The 2008-2009 TDHS varsity volleyball team continues to be on a roll.

Sitting high as last year’s state champions, the Thomas Dale varsity boys’ volleyball team has plenty to be proud of. They’ve won the district title for the past 13 years and have been undefeated in the regular season since 2006, currently holding a 75-match winning streak.

And they’re just getting started.

“The kids have been working hard, so I think that we are in a great position to make another run at the state title,” says Thomas Dale volleyball coach Mike Walker. “It’s up to them with how bad they want it and how hungry they are. As long as they stay focused, they will do fine.”

Next week, the volleyball team will once again step into the district championships, looking to prove that they are the volleyball powerhouse that their record indicates.

“I feel good about our chances because our team knows how to play and win big games,” says senior Bradley Johnston, one of the team’s captains. “I’m confident that we can repeat last year’s performance. Winning the state Continued from page 1
tournament last year was definitely my favorite moment on the team, especially with the way that we cruised through the tournament after our first win.”

Walker credits much of his team’s current success on the dedication that his players show to the sport.

“The kids play a lot in the summer and many of them have older siblings that have played, so they have grown up with volleyball,” says Walker. “Our older guys have also done a great job of teaching down to the younger ones. They help foster the atmosphere that we are one big group. They don’t look for individual glory; it’s always us as a group.”

The wisdom passed down should come in handy after this season. A fairly young team, 11 of the 14 players will be back next season. The biggest challenge for these players will be maintaining the same level of intensity, especially if Thomas Dale pulls out another state championship title.

“Our players do a real good job of trying to meet the goals that the previous team had set, keeping that level of playing up and maintaining that high level of performance,” says Walker. “Once we set the bar up so high, no one wants to be the first to lose.”

As defending state champs, players are mindful of these high expectations that they have set for themselves. However, as the old sports cliché goes, they’re just taking it one game at a time.

“I came into the program not knowing much, but just got better and better until we won the state championship,” says senior Alex Hoffman, one of the team’s captains. “We’ve been working hard for the past couple of years and it has paid off. Hopefully we can do well in the district and get a good seed in the regional tournament, get to the state level, and repeat our performance.”

The district tournament will start on Tuesday, October 28 at Colonial Heights High School. The regional tournament will take place the following week.

nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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