After finishing this year’s season with a 3-3 City League record and losing to Obama in the championship match on May 16th, Allderdice’s boys volleyball team looks to improve and focus on next year’s goal of attaining a championship title.

Though many sports will be joining the WPIAL next year, volleyball will remain in the City League. The stability of staying in the City League gives the team ample time to consolidate what they’ve learned from this year and improve themselves by next spring.

Allderdice math teacher and varsity volleyball coach Richard Napolean said that the future is bright. “We had the strongest and largest freshman class I’ve ever had—11 freshmen, two of which played varsity at times.”

The players are optimistic as well. “Coach Napoleon works us hard, but we all know it’s for our own benefit,” said sophomore Sean Crawford. “Practicing alongside the varsity players has brought us closer as a team.”

Of the three juniors who made the All-City volleyball team, two are from Allderdice, but the team will be missing the leadership qualities of seniors like Ben Katz. “In my opinion,” said Napoleon, “Katz would have been my player of the year. He’s a clutch player, and deserved his place on the All-City team.” Katz regrets leaving the team with no championship, but feels that Allderdice will improve over the coming years. “I think that this was our best team in the three years that I’ve been here because all the starters had played for at least one year and, there weren’t any weak spots in the lineup. Those who stay behind have the talent they need to make a winning side.”