Photo taken by: Ben Coven-Goebel
On Saturday the 20th South Salem boys JV volleyball team won the state competition. Henry Langen Swartzendruber is a Junior at South Salem High School, he was on the team this season and had never played volleyball outside of P.E and with some friends recreationally.
“I think my efforts in training have brought me further than I imagined. I began volleyball with little experience, and made it my goal to improve a little every time I practiced. I think prioritizing progress over perfection is necessary when you’re starting something new, and creates great results. I still have a long way to go, and I think being around all of the amazing players during practice really creates a standard to which I want to become in the future,” Henry said.
While working towards winning the competition, Henry was frightened at first about playing at a high level, but knowing his team he believed that they could face the challenge.
“When thinking about state throughout the season, I thought about the opportunity given to our team to showcase what we’ve learned throughout the season, and to showcase the level at which Men’s Volleyball has become in less than a year,” Henry said.
“Winning state matters to me as it provides the means to represent South Salem High School. I really want to do something positive for South, and I think representation through one of their programs really allows me to do that. The amount of work the team put in also made me want to win state, as I didn’t want to let down the teammates I’ve been working with for a few months,” Henry said when asked why winning state mattered to him.
A lot of Souths JV team were new to the game, but despite that, all players played their best.
“All of us were focused when we needed to be, and really put forth a positive attitude and mindset that brought the team to where it is now. Although many of us were introduced to brand new ideas like rotations, we were able to eventually overcome these challenges and become fluid in volleyball through the help of each other. Personally, I had quite a few things I could’ve done better, but overall I think my team and I did well,” Henry said.
“During our state championship game, I was given a good set by our setter, and missed the swing to hit the net. This really set me back, and made me super stressed. I thought about my teammates and how I didn’t want to let them down, and put my head back in the game. I also vividly remember looking back to see one of my teammates, Linus, who gave a quick nod that reassured me. I think that my teammates really pushed me to keep playing my best, and that kept my head in the game,” Henry said when asked if he ever had a moment of defeat and what he told himself in order to get back on the court.
All of the team’s hard work paid off by going to state and winning
“It feels great to win state! After that last point was scored during the championship game, I was overcome with happiness as we all rushed onto the court to celebrate. Although the experiences made throughout the season were incredible, winning state was really the icing on the cake for the team,” Henry said.
