Everything You Need To Know About Mens Volleyball

By Virginia H '27

Everything You Need to Know About Men’s Volleyball

It’s that time of year again, and men’s volleyball is officially back. One game into the year, varsity is already gearing up for what could be another fantastic season. Here’s a closer look at the team as they set their sights on a league championship and a deep run in the postseason.

ROSTER:

Head Coach: Monica Lyman

Assistant Coach: Courtney Vu

Wiley Bedsworth ‘26 (#11)

Ben Boyd ‘26 (#14)

Sean Kelly\ ‘26 (#17)

Anton Michlmayr ‘26 (#7)

Reier Thompson ‘26 (#18)

Oliver Beamer ‘27 (#2)

Andy Sun ‘27 (#10)

Qadir Williams ‘27 (#19)

Olin Xia ‘27 (#16)

Emmett Zener ‘27 (#8)

Kai Lin ‘28 (#3)

Jordan Tai ‘28 (#9)

Kieran Cardon ‘29 (#13)

Captains: Wiley Bedsworth ‘26, Ben Boyd ‘26

REMAINING HOME SCHEDULE:

Redwood Highschool @4:30 (2/27), Brave Christian @4:00 (3/13), St. Joe’s @5:30 (3/26), Making Waves @5:30 (4/1), Head-Royce @4:30 (4/15), Bentley @4:00 (4/17), Redwood Christian @5:00 (4/24), Northcoast TBD

TEAM ANALYSIS:

With big goals for both league and NCS, men’s volleyball is definitely a team to watch out for. But what makes them such a powerhouse? First off, the team features some very strong hitters. There are three notable senior standouts on the net: middle blocker Ben Boyd, outside hitter Wiley Bedsworth, and outside hitter Anton Michlmayr, all of whom are tall and can put up big blocks. “[Wiley’s] been doing a good job at being terminal,” notes Jordan Tai (‘28). “So far in practice, it’s just set Wiley high and let him fly.” Ben is facing injury at present, but hopes to be back as a middle very soon. For now, he is playing oppo instead of middle until he is feeling stronger. Head coach Monica Lyman is optimistic and hopeful for Ben’s return to middle blocker: “[Ben] is dying to play, but his hip is [injured]...When Ben is back playing, we will have a very solid block.” Unfortunately, both Wiley and Anton are both recovering from injury as well, but once they are healthy again, the team will be incredibly strong offensively. 

The team is also impressive in the back row with defense and serve receive. Sophomore Jordan Tai has been a standout in the back, both as a libero and in setter defense. Monica and his teammates credit him as an invaluable part of the team wherever he’s playing. In the back with Jordan are defense specialists (DS) Kai Lin (‘28) and Oliver Beamer (‘27), who are locking down defense with Wiley and Anton. Kai is new to the team this year, but has already established himself as a starter. Monica is undoubtedly excited to have another underclassman training in the back row alongside Jordan.

With a lot of new faces on the roster, fundamentals and chemistry are going to be big priorities for the team this season. Qadir Williams (‘27) highlights the influx of new players, noting that “it’s basically half a new team. Half of us haven’t played together before, so we have to solidify our team chemistry.” The addition of new players has also required an increased focus on technical development. Sean Kelly (‘26), Reier Thompson (‘26), and Olin Xia (‘27) are all new to the team and are playing middle blocker, a very demanding position in terms of footwork and timing. Monica has placed particular emphasis on preparing the new players for competitive matches. She explains that “we have to go back to do more basic training because there are players who haven’t had the basic [fundamentals]...we have to spend more time working on that.”

Looking ahead to this season, both coaches and players are optimistic, especially after several key players recover from injury. Once the team is healthy and starters are back in their regular positions, they are expected to be highly competitive. Monica is confident in the team’s talent: “Do I think we have the potential to win the league? Yes, I do. Do I think we have the potential to get two banners up [in the gym]? Yes, I do.” Looking ahead to the postseason, she believes that the right approach is crucial, noting that “if we can strategically get in division III for Northcoast, I think we have a really good chance [of winning].”