By Sasha Crowe

   The Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) boys volleyball team started off their season with many ups and downs. On Tuesday, Mar. 7, the Sharks fell to Tocoi Creek High School in a hard-fought match which went on to five sets. The set scores were 19-25, 19-25, 25-29, 25-29, and 13-15. The evenly matched teams put on a nail-biting show for the Sharks’ season opener. PVHS had 65 kills and five serving aces to keep up with the Toros. Senior, Hunter Calamari, led the team with five blocks as the starting middle blocker. “Although we lost, it was a great start to our season as we had to fight hard to come back from two losses in the first two sets. Our team worked well together, especially for the first game,” described Calamari.  

   The next day, Mar. 8, the Sharks played in a three-game tournament where they dominated the competition. They swept Menendez High School, Gulf Breeze High School, and Choctawhatchee High School all 2-0. The tournament allowed the Sharks to get more comfortable and have some much-needed success. “The team is hitting and serving well. We can work on our blocking, communication, and passing to find further success throughout the season,” stated senior outside hitter, Griffin Morgan.  

   On Tuesday, Mar. 19, the PVHS boys were bested by Creekside High School, 0-3. The sets were close with scores of 30-28, 19-25, 21-25. Junior outside hitter, Connor Crabtree led the team with seven kills and a kill percentage of 41.2. Creekside High School was PVHS’s toughest competition yet and although the Sharks were swept, the rallies were long, and every point was fought for. The Sharks host Beachside High School on Thursday, Mar. 28 and face Tocoi Creek High School once again the following week, hoping to secure some regular season game wins for their record.