On Wednesday, March 12, Manual’s boys’ varsity volleyball team played their first ever match as a KHSAA sanctioned sport for the school. The team has been in the works since 2022, but just recently became recognized and established as an official KHSAA sport.
“I went to Manual and I played volleyball here and it is really neat to watch my nephew [Gavin Fulton, (#6, 12)] and his team come together and play in our very first boys volleyball match ever. It is something that’s super important to me that I helped establish this program,” head coach Ellie Puckett said. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve already come and if you have the ability to make it to a match this season, it is really fun to watch.”
First Set:
The match began with a serve by Manual’s Luke Boggs (#1, 11) and ended in a point for the DeSales Colts. The points went back and forth, until Fulton had his first kill of the game bringing the score to 7-4 with DeSales in the lead.
The game advanced and the Colts scored multiple points in a row. Their run was ended with a block by Boggs and Patrick Galla (#2, 9). The score was then 10-8 with DeSales in the lead.
The teams remained close for next few points, but Manual’s Cameron Lincoln (#3, 9) scored a kill off of the block, which brought the score to 11-10.
The Colts remained in the lead for the rest of the set. Though Boggs scored a point off of his second block of the game toward the end, DeSales still led Manual, 23-15.
DeSales won the next two points to finish the first set with a victory, 25-15.
Second Set:
The Colts served first, gaining the first point off of a kill, but the score was brought to a tie, 1-1, when Lincoln got a kill from the middle blocker position.
Manual’s Seth Niemann (#4, 10) then helped the Crimsons gain their first lead of the match, 3-2, with a kill. The score remained close, with Galla scoring another kill bringing the score to a tie, 7-7.
The latter half of the set went quickly, with the Colts taking the lead over the Crimsons. Manual fought back, with kills from Fulton and Lincoln, but fell to the Colts again in the second set, 25-18.
Third Set:
The third set advanced quickly, with DeSales leading 15-7. Their run ended when Lincoln got a kill on a tip, making the score 15-8.
The next point ended with another tip kill, this time by Neimann. The Colts got the ball back and scored twice because of an attack error by the Crimsons, making the score 16-9. The Crimsons fought back to win the next two points, ending with a block by Neimann and Lincoln causing the crowd to erupt in cheer.
The score remained close, with Fulton scoring off of a kill from the outside. The score advanced to 19-14, with Colts still in the lead. Manual then scored the next five points, bringing the game to a tie at 19-19.
The Colts called a time out and came back, leading 22-19, but their success didn’t last long. The Crimsons won the next three points, tying the game once again.
Fulton scored off of an ace for Manual, and Boggs got a kill off of his set, advancing the Crimsons to a 24-23 lead. Manual won the final point of the set off of a kill by Niemann, leading to their first set victory of the season.
Fourth Set:
The Crimsons won the first point of the set with Boggs serving. Their success did not last long, though, as DeSales pulled ahead with multiple kills and aces. The score was now16-6.
Manual remained behind for the rest of the game. The Colts’ defense remained poised, digging and blocking most of Manual’s attacks.
In a frantic play, Boggs got a kill by reaching for the ball with one arm and passing it over the net. DeSales remained in a staggering lead, though, 21-9.
The Crimsons scored two more points, but were not able to overtake the Colts. Desales won the set 25-11, leading to a match loss for the Crimsons.
Today, the varsity team will face Oldham County at 7 p.m. While the Crimsons began their journey with a loss, the future is bright for the boys’ volleyball program.
