Boys' volleyball spiked by QO

The boys' volleyball team suffered a disappointing loss to the Quince Orchard High School (QO) Cougars, struggling in two close sets. Lacking confidence, the Blazers fell 15-11 and 15-12, bringing their season record to 2-3.

Despite getting an early lead, the team made a number of mental errors that enabled the Cougars to get back into the game. Co-captain Daniel Ku, a senior, was disappointed that the team did not perform soundly. "I think we played well but made little stupid mistakes," said Ku. "We have to work on being aware and being ready and having more discipline."

Although the Blazers were unable to win the match against the Cougars, they refused to back down. In the first and second sets, they jumped out to 4-0 and 3-0 leads, respectively. But Blair was unable to hold on, letting the Cougars go on a number of unanswered runs.

One of the team's problems was its inability to take charge and determine its fate on the court. "It's almost like a confidence thing," said Coach J.J. Rathnam. "Instead of making positive action, they're going the passive route. They're letting [the ball] drop, letting gravity decide the result."

This proved true in the second set, in which the Blazers faltered early, enabling the Cougars to score a number of easy points and build a lead.

While the Blazers managed to catch up with QO late in the second set, mistakes and a lack of confidence again prevailed as the Cougars scored four consecutive points and won the set.

Blair missed its best opportunity to get back into contention in the second set, in which the Cougars lost their lead after two Blair aces and a string of QO blunders that made the score 12-9. Unable to hold onto their lead, the Blazers lost possession and allowed QO to score three consecutive points and regain momentum. Blair was held scoreless for the remainder of the match. According to Rathnam, the Blazers showcased their strongest assets throughout the match and gave QO a competitive game despite faltering at inopportune times. "We're improving, and our side-out game is really good," he said. "The setters had a pretty good game, and our passing was almost to the level of the [Richard Montgomery] game. We played them close."

The team's next match is today at 6 p.m. at Walter Johnson High School.