On Monday, April 22, Carnegie students and faculty could be seen arriving in masses at the sand volleyball court, its sand glowing with the prospect of victory, competition and good sport. Amidst the cheers, the ref’s whistle pierced the air: the Battle in the Sands had begun.
Over the past week, 24 teams of 4-6 players have been battling it out on the court for the 2024 Battle in the Sands championship title. Some players are complete novices, while others having perfected their line shots. Most newbie teams got wiped out in the first round of the tournament, but some underdogs persevered. Nevertheless, games have grown increasingly heated and competitive, with skilled players showing off and long rallies keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Teams not only consist of students, but teachers as well, such as one consisting of Miyuki Scott, James Parker, Juan Garner, Lamia Moumni, and Abderahman Lamane. The team constantly makes appearances, drawing “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowds of students marveling at the skills of their faculty and staff.
With each day has come the elimination of teams as well, especially the ones who were new to the sport. Such games have provided comical respites to competitive, heated games between the top teams. Ultimately, eight final teams will determine who will be the winner of the Battle in the Sands. Teams 2, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 20 are the last teams to be standing, many of whom consist of members of the boys’ and girls’ varsity volleyball teams, other than a few athletic underdogs.
After asking CVHS students which team they think will be the one to take home the gold, the results favored mostly varsity players: Team 10 (Cory Yan, Jeffery Bui, Jonathan Curl, Amin Karic, and Justin Seabrook), Team 14 (Quinn Hickman, Kevin Yu, Aashay Kawathekar, David Trakhtman, and Shonn Huang) and Team 16 (Sarah Ramos, Max Philippe, Chloe Tran, Zayan Niaz). Unsurprisingly, the two last teams to remain standing were teams 10 and 16, who faced off in the championship game on Wednesday, May 8.
However, CVHS students weren’t just predicting winning teams, but winning players, too.
“Max is tall and kills his opponents with the volleyball,” reads one anonymous response.
The predictions of CVHS students were strikingly accurate. Team 16, consisting of Philippe, Tran, Ramos, and Niaz defeated Team 10. They now reign as the 2024 Battle in the Sands champions.
Two minutes before team 16 knew they would be champions, they were playing at their full potential.
Niaz started the play by serving the ball over short, forcing Yan to step back and pick up the ball. Seabrook then sets it short, causing Yan to reach and ultimately tipping it into the wall that Philippe and Niaz have created. This leaves the set at game point. With one more serve to secure the win, Niaz serves it short once again, forcing Yan to receive with his hands and pushing it a little too tight to the net. In an attempt to make a play, Seabrook tries to dump the ball, but pushes the ball straight into the net, ending the game 15-9.
Now that the tournament has come to a close, the anticipation of future competitors leaves students wondering if next year’s games will be as exciting and eventful as they were this year.
Although life at CVHS can be uncertain and heavy, students can continue to look forward to the exhilarating competition against their peers during the Battle in the Sands. Here’s to another exciting year in the sand.
