October, 2022
By Lizeth Moctezuma, Editor-In-Chief
The students of KAC have been vocal about their desire for a boys’ volleyball team for years, so excitement spread through the halls in October for their first game against rival school KIPP Austin Brave. But as the hype built to support our new team, this progress begged the questions: what got us here in the first place? And most importantly, what will KAC’s boys’ volleyball team look like in the future?
KAC athletics director Anthony Carrizales credited the team’s origin to new Coach Ruben Perez. He also gave a shout-out to the class of 2023. “I think the seniors this year really pushed for it, advocated for themselves, [motivating] us as an athletics department to start a men’s volleyball team,” Coach Carrizales said. And when asked how such a team will continue to progress, Coach Carrizales mentioned it all depended on the students’ interest: “Next year, we’ll try it as a club [officially competing in a league], and if that works out, then hopefully if our school leadership teams approve it we will also offer it as an athletics class, but as an official team on campus every year moving forward.”
And despite rumors questioning the status of Title IX at KAC (essentially a federal law requiring schools to offer the same amount of opportunities in athletics to all genders), Coach Carrizales ensures there is nothing to worry about since cheerleading and flag football have evened out the numbers of sports at KAC, being inclusive to all. Adding a volleyball team for boys would only help maintain fair athletics slots open to our students.
While our Cardinals lost their game to Brave’s eagles on Senior Night (1-2), our two-week-old team put up a good fight in the first set, with starting players: Alexander Valdovinos, Hector Martinez, Ricardo Torres, Jose Estrada, Raul Zavaleta, and Yahir Cabrera. Having a solid defense (especially when it came to our Cardinals serve-receive*) and a reliable setter thanks to senior Hector Martinez— ultimately, the highlight of the game was the strongest spike of the night made by Cardinal #44, senior Alexander Valdovinos, proving this is the beginning for many wins to come.
*Being able to pick up a lot of the serves and playing off of them.
The team practiced after school, mimicking what our Lady Cardinals team does, and playing against them. In an interview, Coach Perez said that while the boys played really well for their first game (especially with such a large audience), what they lacked most was time. As volleyball is a sport relying on the ability to adapt to one’s opponents and, in turn, each other, real skill only comes to a team with experience. But, excited to step up to the plate once more, Coach Perez has a message for the boys’ future volleyball team: “I expect them to be ready.”
Above all, Coach Carrizales and Coach Perez remain grateful for this foundational beginning for our new team on campus. And as Coach Carrizales put it: “They [the boys’ volleyball team] officially, I would say, have stamped their mark at this campus, not only this year but moving forward.”
The Cardinal Post 