DCVI senior boys volleyball team grinds out pair of wins

Parker Levy leaps up and spikes the ball over the net during one of the St. Marys DCVI Senior Boys Volleyball team’s two wins on Oct. 23. The Salukis defeated Central Huron and South Huron, winning both games in straight sets.

By Spencer Seymour

Although it wasn’t pretty, the St. Marys DCVI Senior Boys Volleyball team found a way to pick up a pair of victories over Central Huron and South Huron on Oct. 23, cementing their place in the top four of the Huron-Perth standings.

Head coach Steve Chateauvert said, while there was room for improvement, it was a big positive seeing the Salukis secure a top-four spot in their conference.

“Getting two wins, we should finish in a decent spot in the standings,” Chateauvert told the Independent. “We also want to progress and get better, and I hope we’re able to do better at executing that the next time we’re on the court. We need to just play and practice with more intensity. We had a couple of good practices recently, so I want that to continue, and then have it translate into our games a little bit more.”

In their first game of the day, DCVI’s senior boys took on their counterparts from South Huron and swept the game in two straight sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-15.

Chateauvert admitted, while it wasn’t the best performance, the team’s skill level helped them find a way to win.

“They’re good enough to win games even if our execution isn’t quite at its absolute best,” said Chateauvert. “They have a lot of ability that can get them through against opponents that maybe don’t have the same skill level, but when we get into the playoffs, we need to get to another level of energy, intensity and readiness.”

The Salukis’ second match of the day pitted them against Central Huron, and they once again took the game in back-to-back sets, winning 25-21 and 25-16.

Again, the team’s showing wasn’t perfect in the head coach’s eyes, partially due to trying players at different positions. However, with the playoffs on the horizon, Chateauvert is hopeful the flaws displayed would lead to growth as the toughest games of the season approach.

“We tried a bit of a different lineup in the second set. As a result, guys were playing positions that they don’t normally play, and that contributes to that sense of being a little unsure, but it was good to get guys into different spots and test our adaptability. At the end of the day, you can always be ready, you can always go after the ball and you can always try to get better, and hopefully, our growing pains in that match will help us do a better job next time.”

The Salukis have one game left before the post-season begins, and they will finish either third or fourth in the league. Chateauvert reflected on the season and the team’s growth, noting the senior boys have the ability to deliver the type of play needed to have a successful playoff run.

“We have gotten more consistent,” Chateauvert said. “Our serving has definitely improved over the course of the season. We’ve had some really good moments where we executed really well in some of our earlier tournament games and against some more competitive teams, and we just need to keep putting all of those things together.”