The men's club volleyball team concluded its season last weekend with its best finish ever. Bowdoin made it to the second day of competition at the New England Division II championship at the University of New Hampshire before losing to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the eventual winners, in straight sets (25-20, 25-20).
On day one, Bowdoin beat the University of New England and the Community College of Rhode Island without much difficulty before losing to Williams and advancing as the second seed behind the Ephs.
Captain Peyton Kelley '13 said that the playoff match against WPI was extremely close and that the second set went back and forth. He explained that some "missed serves down the stretch killed us" and that WPI had very solid blocks on the team's attacks. Additionally, there were some close calls by the referees that went in the opposition's favor that could have factored in the team's loss.
Captain Tom Delehanty '12 attributed the team's success this season to its members' relationships. "The importance of a team's chemistry is definitely underestimated—we're a lot closer this year," he said.
"We all meshed for the first time," agreed Kelley. "Everyone bought into what we did," he added, in reference to the athletes' solid attendance to practices throughout the season.
After the conclusion of the championship, opposing players and coaches nominated Kelley to be a member of the All-Star team. Delehanty's praise of his teammate, however, does not end there. "In my opinion, he is the best player in the NECVL Division II for men's volleyball," he said.
This year, the team will be graduating two important contributors—Delehanty and Danny Chin '12—in addition to James Chen '12, who finished his degree at the end of the fall semester. However, Kelley explained that the team will return a strong core next fall, and hopes that a lot of new students—first years and upperclassmen alike—come out for the team.
-Compiled by Rachel Gladstone.