(May 27, 2010) — During a recent span of three weeks, students lined the edges of the gym instead of sitting in the stands. Twenty-six teams in boys’ and girls’ divisions packed the gym at enrichment for intramural volleyball. Unlike basketball and football intramurals, students from every grade level competed against each other. Volleyball seemed to be embraced by all, as some girls competed in the boys’ division. Teams were composed of at least six players and games were played to 25 points. Not only did volleyball intramurals provide many students the chance to play organized volleyball, but it also allowed friends to compete with each other. For various teams, trying to get the ball over the net in three hits was the goal; for others it was to bump, set and spike. With each successive game, a sense of camaraderie was built by teams like the Predators, who struggled in their first couple of games. For some teams like the Rangers, experience from last year paid off. “Last year it was our first time in the tournament. We were the underdogs and it felt great to win,” said junior Davit Nadimyan. The Rangers, who won the boys’ division last year, decided to play again this year to defend their title. However, the Rangers’ journey to defending their title didn’t come without controversy. “Apparently one of our teammates forgot to give his pass before the game, and we couldn’t play until we found it,” said Nadimyan. “Our team captain talked to Ms. Thomsen and decided that one of our players wasn’t going to play the first round.” Despite the situation, the Rangers, who were led by setter Alex Aivazian, managed to advance to the championship game. “He’s always there on offense and defense, and he knows how to save a team in bad situations,” said Nadimyan. On the other side of the net were the Predators, who were mainly made up of sophomores. The Predators had struggled in their first couple of games, but ultimately utilized their experience from playing in Thomsen’s P.E. class to make a run in the playoffs. In a competitive match filled with long-lasting volleys, the Rangers won in three sets, 20-11, 11-20, 15-12. The Rangers, who are made up of mostly juniors, agree that Aivazian is their team’s MVP. They are looking forward to playing for a three-peat next year.