By Aidan Leary ’26
On Monday, Apr. 20, the volleyball team competed against the number one team in the state, Oak Park River Forest. The Crusaders gave them a tough time with the home court advantage playing a factor.
The first set was neck and neck, each team exchanging blows. The largest lead for either team was just a few points. Senior Ben Adamski led the way for the Crusaders with 8 kills and 3 blocks.
Adamski said, “We had a close back and forth match, but I think we could’ve fixed some simple errors and executed more plays.”
Oak Park River Forest narrowly edged out the Crusaders and won the first set, 25-22.
The second set was just as competitive, if not more. The Crazies were loud and definitely played a role in the game.
The teams went back and forth; every single point was fought until the end. Huge spikes and blocks shifted the momentum for each team.
Senior Oliver McNichols said, “We knew it was a very winnable game, but we also learned we can compete with any team in the state on any given night.”
The Crusaders fell in the second set, 25-23. Both sets were pressure-packed and could’ve gone either way.
The game was played at a high level of volleyball, and the Crusaders won’t dwell too much on this loss. They will take the positives from this game and use it as a learning experience.
Senior Colin Nye, who was positive after this game even after a tough loss, said, “If we can compete with the number one team in the state, I know we can compete with everyone. I’m excited for these next few weeks.”
