The Niles North Boys’ volleyball team has started the 22/23 season off strong, besting their first three opponents.

Niles North’s Boys’ volleyball team has been known to be a powerhouse team, crushing balls down onto the waxed court with consistency, especially the varsity team this year. The team, which consists of seven seniors, three juniors, and three sophomores, the team looks well-prepared for the season coming ahead. 

Last season, the boy’s Varsity team took home 22 wins and 13 losses overall, concluding with a 0.63% win rate. In conference games, they went 6 wins and 4 losses, placing them in third place. However, the team was not satisfied with the outcome of their record that season. Hence the phrase they have ingrained in their heads, “We will win the conference.” 

The 2023 team is composed of seniors Mihai Beca, Kaleb Bekanon, Billos Biro, Nick Le, Matthew Ounsy, Allon Sepiashvili, and Elliott Yoo; juniors Laydon Biro, Alexander Ford, and Tom James; and sophomores Horia Beca, Gino Hamoy, and Stefan Toma. The team is coached by Andre Shaw, and assisted by Allen Tom.

These athletes were practicing throughout the off-season, participating in clubs, after-school lifting, and open gyms. This off-season prepared them for the season coming ahead.

Their first match was held against Wheeling High School on March 20, 2023. In the first set of the game, Niles North won 25-18 by error from Wheeling’s serve. They won the second set 25-22 with a point by Alexander Ford. 

As volleyball is a sport with a lot of mental battles, the team looks to keep their heads up after every point. “I hope to see growth not only in our physical skills in volleyball but as well as growth in our mental strength and our chemistry as a team and family,” senior captain Nick Le said. 

A well-diversified team full of talented players can be crucial for their collective goal-win the CSL North conference and go to state. The team the season off with a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, also taking the win for Niles North against Northside Prep and Jones College Prep.

The team will not be taking their foot off the gas pedal, as over spring break they will continue to practice their imperfections and turn them into natural skills.

Not only are they building their physical and mental abilities, but their bond is also inseparable. “The school can expect to see great team chemistry, through both our communication and our play,” captain Allon Sepiashvili said. “You’d also see high energy on the court through our focus and drive to win. Overall it would be a great show win or lose.”

Consisting of three captains of the team, people can expect to see a well-developed team of Vikings. “As a captain, my goal is to keep this team focused and make them the best they can be,”  junior captain Alex Ford said. 

The team looks for gaps and holes in their play style and fixes them with conditioning practice and continuous repetitions to fix the inconsistency to win the games in the near future. The team will be playing at a varsity tournament at Warren High School on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. and April 8 at 9:00 a.m. The team hopes their peers will come out to support them.