“This will be another season of student-athlete pioneers paving the way for future Wildcat teams,” said Westerville South boys volleyball head coach, Chris Bielby. 

This season’s WSHS boys volleyball team has had little experience with the game. “This season was like starting from scratch,” said Bielby. He also compared it with the team’s 2008 season, “There was little to no experience coming into that season.” 

Senior Ian Chuah said, “The team has grown so much since the beginning of the season, and I believe that with our coach we can get even better and start a tradition here at South.” Chuah is a first year member of the team and joined because of an interest in the sport since freshman year. Chuah said, “I honestly wish I started sooner; it’s been great.” 

With the COVID-19 virus canceling the spring sports season last year, the team had only  four returning players and it made recruiting players very difficult. Bielby said, “I usually talk to students at lunchtime and try to recruit players, but I was not able to due to COVID restrictions [this year].” This season those who knew about the program or were on the team last year tried to get other students to join the team.
Senior, Chuck Williams said, “I liked to watch volleyball; and when Ian said I should go to tryouts, I didn’t hesitate.” Williams is one of the senior captains, alongside Chuah and both have been key players for the team.

Williams said, “Ian has really stepped up. He’s serious about wanting the team to improve and it shows. I can’t stop singing praises of Ian; he came into volleyball blind and quickly became one our most reliable players from blocking and hitting to server and receiver, he has come a long way.”

When one of the team’s middles, Quentin Sheets, broke his thumb, Williams stepped up and filled their position. Chuah said, “[when] Quentin broke his thumb, Chuck had to learn the position to fill in. So our line up had to change in response to that.”

With the challenges the team has faced this year coach Bielby is still hopeful for the rest of the season, “The team is improving every practice and every match. Being competitive is going to be the focus throughout the rest of the season.”