Boys volleyball finish first in the preseason Jamboree tournament at Great Bridge High School on Aug. 18, 2023. Photo used with permission from Josh Ng.

Boys volleyball finishes the preseason with an 8-2 final set score against five teams in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Without last year’s senior athletes, the team had to utilize its next predominant players to fill the gaps.

Seniors Vincent Yi, Donny Valazquez, Barrett Scharfe and other stars all contributed to the team’s success under the coaching of Evan Ballinger and Lee Olenyik.

“Our team goals is not only to win games but to grow as a team and become more cohesive,” said Donny.

Based off of preseason performance, Ocean Lakes is ranked second, just under Kellam.

The team hopes to not only claim more victories, but also seek cohesiveness and growth in its players.

“We’re striving to live up to last seasons record and we’re hoping to go all the way this year,” said junior Kaden Pratt.