Photo Courtesy of Brophy Volleyball| The varsity volleyball team went to the 2018 Easter Vegas Invitational and won the tournament.
By Joey Bottini ’19
THE ROUNDUP
The varsity volleyball team placed 1st in the 2018 Las Vegas Easter Invitational on March 27th.
In the Championship Game, Brophy defeated Centennial High School (Las Vegas,NV) by a score of 2-0.
Historically, the Broncos have been successful in this tournament. They have reached the championship in four consecutive years and have added two titles over this time span.
Captain and Outside Hitter Nathan Thompson ’18 said that going into the tournament the team was hoping to repeat history and improve as a group.
The tournament consisted of many teams from California, Arizona and Las Vegas.
In the ten games the team played during the tournament, they posted a 9-1 record.
Head coach Mr. Tony Oldani said the toughest team the Broncos faced was Valencia High School (CA) in the semi-finals because of the way the two teams matched up so evenly at each position.
“Where we were strong, Valencia was strong,” said Mr. Oldani. “After losing the first set, it was really impressive how our guys responded. They never panicked, and there was never a doubt that we would win the next two sets.”
Captain and Setter Conor Dunn ’18 said the energy and confidence throughout the tournament helped the team to continue playing at a high level.
“We battled all tournament and stayed confident,” said Dunn. “Some of the younger guys stepped up for us and made some huge plays for us throughout the tournament,”
Thompson said the recent trip to Manresa for a team retreat helped motivate them going into the tournament.
“We went to Vegas straight from Manresa, where we talked about our goals and the kind of team we wanted to be,” Thompson said. “This told us mentally that we were going to the tournament for the purpose of winning it.”
Dunn said the team is looking forward to the rest of the season with hopes to use their recent success as expectations for the team each and every game.
Thompson said the tournament helped the team realize that they can play at an elite level, but they still need to continue to work hard and play consistently.
“The win is great and all, but there’s still work to be done, and I hope we’re hungrier than ever to get a ring,” Thompson said.
