“I want you to make mistakes. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn,” is probably one of the things you’ll hear the most coming from boys’ volleyball head coach Jose Garcia, and it could even be the team’s motto when it comes to facing challenges.

This season could be a difficult one for the team after 10 seniors graduated from last year’s team, which had an amazing 22-3 record, one of the best in boys’ volleyball history for our school, being defeated by only 2 teams in Dade-County and one from Orlando. Ex star player Manuel Melenciano also received recognition as one of the best players in Dade County along with

This year’s team is led by 4 returning players: seniors Marlon Sierra and Brandon Peraza and juniors Manuel Baldizon aka “Manny” and Juan Rivera. Manny thinks that the lack of experience of aspiring players will be the one of the most difficult challenges this year’s volleyball team will have to face. “Some of the kids trying out have never even played volleyball, some of them not even a sport at all,” he said. “We’ll be competing in a different district, and we don’t know what to expect.”

Peraza thinks the lack of familiarity with new players could be a bigger issue than the lack of experience. “We are a new team, and we don’t know each other,” he said.

“I don’t expect anything in particular except for the team to have a willingness to learn and grow,” said head coach Jose Garcia. “We will have to work really hard to get on board with the rest of the teams in our district. Having graduated 10 seniors last year, this year’s team will basically have to learn the game from scratch”

Although this year’s team will have to face many difficulties, the team is looking forward to it with determination and positivity. “This coming season will be interesting to say the least” said Coach Jose.

“Our strength will be the base from previous years to work as a family and help each other out to communicate,” said Peraza, who is in his third and final year on the team of what he considers more than just a bunch of guys playing volleyball. “We’ll do our best, put in the work and effort needed to succeed not as individual players, but as a family. My relationship with the new team is weak but getting stronger because I’m getting to know the new kids little by little.”

Manny thinks that having so many unexperienced players trying out won’t necessarily be bad. “They have an open mind when it comes to learning the sport so they will eventually get better,” he said.

Volleyball is a sport in which each team can only have 6 players on the court at a time; therefore, the bench support is a big part of the game, mostly because of the energy. “Even when on the bench, having the right attitude and supporting whoever is on the court as a family has always been important,” said Manny. “Helping to work towards fixing mistakes rather than blaming them on people is key.”

Peraza added, “Without team work or communication, there is no team.” Miami High’s volleyball team has won the past two district 8A championship titles, last year defeating Miami Springs in a tough match, 3 sets to 1, and ending their season on a loss against Columbus during regional quarter finals.

“Our ultimate goal is to give the best of ourselves and bring back that District title for the third time in a row,” said Manny.

Students interested in joining the team were called to a meeting on November 6th, and conditioning has already started. This year’s players are already looking forward to the end of February when the official season will begin.

Coach Jose Garcia is also excited for the initiation of a junior varsity team for the boys which he believes will help players gain experience for the following years.