The boys volleyball team is optimistic heading into the season
Kotaru and Senior Andrew Eickman celebrate after scoring a point. The season is quickly approaching, and the team is ready. “I wouldn’t say I’m really nervous about anything, I would definitely say I’m just more excited to start playing games, and just to start getting better,” Koratu said.
February 15, 2018
With the program losing six seniors, the boys’ volleyball program is starting up again, and the team is hungry for a winning season this spring.
The team has seen a swell in numbers, with around 25 new athletes, the volleyball program is looking to build off of a 3-16 season.
“I think it’s going to go really good, we will definitely have a better record than we’ve had in the past because we have a lot of energy, but we also have some really good talent on the team as well,” senior and hitter Mitch Wills said.
Tryouts took place the week of Feb. 26, and the program is looking for new hitters, back row passers and setters.
“We have two freshmen coming up that are looking pretty good too,” sophomore setter Cam Neisler said. “We also have a few people playing club who have been working over the off-season. We are looking pretty solid and we have a lot of potential for the hitting positions.”
New senior member Sujay Kotaru retired from tennis after playing for three years and is eager for a change.
“This is my first year of volleyball. I had always been interested in the sport and wanted to try something new, so I decided to give volleyball a shot,” Kotaru said. “I’ve been going to open gyms and have been practicing with seniors from last season to start preparing.”
Wills forecasts the team to have a successful season not only because of newfound enthusiasm, but because they are already a tight-knit group.
“We have really good chemistry because everyone is cool with each other and we’re all friends,” Wills said. I think we will be able to play well together, and overall just have a lot of fun.”
![The narrow lens contrasts with a diverse reality; whitewashing means altering or concealing something to make it more appealing to white people. The word “whitewashed” as it is used today has caused identity crises for thousands, if not millions, of students. “I have been called whitewashed before, and it feels very sad. [It’s] just hard because it makes me not know who I am. You don’t get a lot of backlash for [saying it], so I think it’s a throwaway term for people who aren’t affected by it. When you are the person [who] is being called whitewashed, over time, it builds up,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5740-1-300x200.jpg)
![Two of Pathfinder’s most recent editorial accolades shine on display in journalism teacher Lindsey Katz’s room. Pathfinder was recognized as a SNO Distinguished Site on April 24. “Praise isn’t everything, but it feels so nice to see the hard work of our staff recognized. So much more than just writing words on a page occurs [in journalism], and I am so glad people see that. I love being surrounded by such talented writers, but also such great people,” editor-in-chief and junior Payton Dean said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/DSC_4941-300x200.jpg)
![There are more than 20 open cardio machines at Crunch Fitness. I enjoyed the spacious environment at Crunch, a sentiment that was shared by sophomore Sanjana Daggubati. “[Going to] Crunch Fitness was the right decision because [it] feels more professional. Crunch’s workers are laid back, but not to the point where they don't care,” Daggubati said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_5242-1-300x225.jpg)
![Setting up the activity for his first meeting, Financial Literacy Club founder and sophomore Yash Bandiananthaiah writes on the whiteboard. For the first meeting, Bandiananthaiah created an interactive experience for members to immerse themselves in. “To me, the most important thing during a meeting is to make sure we are all engaged and participating, and [I do this by] always making sure we have a hands-on activity,” Bandiananthaiah said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC5306-1200x798.jpg)
![Hand raised into the air, senior Lauren Anstrom watches as her graduation cap flies along with the caps of all her peers. Anstrom hopes to leave behind the legacy as someone who was kind, hardworking, and always supportive of others. “Tossing my graduation cap honestly felt surreal. In that moment, everything hit me at once with all the excitement, relief and a little sadness too. It felt really emotional [because] this was the end of such a big chapter of my life, but also exciting knowing that everyone was about to start a completely new journey,” Anstrom said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_3031-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Blair Hopkins enters City Coffee & Creperie in Clayton, Mo. for breakfast with her Honors French 4 students and AP French 5 students. Both classes went on a field trip to a fair trade chocolate factory in St. Louis to begin their unit on Côte D’Ivoire, a major producer of cocoa beans. “My ideal school would just be the Magic School Bus — you would always learn about things by going someplace and learning hands-on, being able to see it yourself and asking people questions. I think [learning is] always so much more memorable if you can experience it firsthand,” Hopkins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC2795-1200x798.jpg)