At the spring assembly on Wednesday, April 17, the Kewpie Activities Council (KAC) hosted the first-ever seniors versus staff volleyball game.
Athletic Director Jack Rubenstein started the KAC this year in hopes of creating a more cohesive student body. He wanted to make sure clubs, activities, and sports were all working together and supporting each other. The KAC focuses on team bonding as well as school spirit, attempting to make kids excited to go to school by creating events such as the Seniors Vs Staff Volleyball Game.
As students filed into the stands, announcers Morgyn Smith (12) and Zeke Lee (11) introduced the teams. The first matchup was the “Neon Ninjas” coached by Kenley Thornhill (12) and Kayla Shedd (12), versus “Team USA” coached by Madelyn Ashton (12) and Kira Hoenes (12).
Going into the tournament, the seniors on the “Neon Ninjas” felt confident in their abilities to pull out a win.
“We’ve been training really hard, you know, putting the hours in, going to the gym, making sure that I can spike it on Mr. O this afternoon,” Tucker Wagner (12) said.
Tucker did, in fact, spike the ball on Mr. O in the third set of the match, after the students lost in the second set.
The “Neon Ninjas” pulled out a win in the end after an exhilarating match.
Between games, members of the KAC hyped up the students by doing numerous t-shirt tosses that the stands went wild for.
In the second matchup, the “Blackout Blockers” coached by Kyndra Collier (12), Kennedi Canty (12), and Stella Forck (12) played the second “Team USA” teachers team also coached by Madelyn and Kira.
The “Blackout Blockers” went undefeated in the first tournament back in March and felt even more confident heading into the tournament versus the teachers.
“I feel great. I mean, we have a strong team. We don’t really have any weak links. And whatever challenges they have, they know how to work through them. So I’m really, I’m really happy. I think we have a great chance even without practice,” coach Kyndra Collier said.
The lights turned off and students turned their flashlights on as the “Blackout Blockers” were introduced at the start of the second assembly.
The “Blackout Blockers” started strong with a 10-point lead in the first set with captains Lucas Murray (12) and Max Collier (12) leading their team.
“During the first tournament, we went undefeated, 6-0 in our sets, really killed people, but we just got good team chemistry,” Lucas said.
were doing their best and having fun. (Aurelia Garcia)
Soccer coach Wil Ross and PE teacher Gregory Croll picked up the teachers’ slack and ended up winning the second set for “Team USA.”
Heading into the third and final set, the seniors and teachers were both eager to win.
The teams went back and forth in the final set, but the seniors took the W after an exhilarating rally between the teams.