Going into their final game of the season the Encinal High School (EHS) men’s volleyball team was just looking to end on a positive note. The Jets had lost 12 of their last 14 matches, with 10 of those losses coming without winning a single set.

However, Encinal dug deep and grinded out a 3-1 win against Hayward (3-12) on April 28.

“It felt awesome and relieving,” said EHS senior setter Simone White. “It was one of the times that felt like a win was needed. Starting off and ending with a win isn’t too bad; we had a good season.”

For many of the seniors, it was the last time they’d wear their Encinal blue jersey.

“Senior night was amazing,” said senior outside hitter Alex Chin. “Even though we lost most of our games this season, just winning on that night alone to close it out made up for all of it.”

However, the team was surprised to discover it qualified for the North Coast Section (NCS) Div. III playoffs. The Jets were the 12th seed out of 15 teams in the tournament. The 12-seed Jets lost to fifth-seed De Anza High of Hayward 3-0 (20-25, 19-25, 14-25) on May 3 on the road. The Jets finished the season with a 5-18 overall record.

Alameda High
The Alameda High School (AHS) men’s volleyball season ended after a 7-17 overall record. The Hornets lost three of their last four victories. The Hornets lone victory during that stretch was a 3-1 win over rival Encinal on April 19. The Hornets did not qualify for the postseason tournament. AHS finished 3-8 in the West Alameda County Conference good for seventh place out ten teams and two spots ahead of EHS — EHS qualified for the playoffs over AHS, even with a worse record, because EHS is sectioned in DIV. III, while AHS is in Div. II, which is a tougher division.

St. Joseph Notre Dame
The St. Joseph Notre Dame (SJND) men’s volleyball team ended its season with a 3-0 loss to Head-Royce of Oakland on April 28. The Pilots still qualified for the NCS Div. IV playoffs. However, the fifth seed Pilots lost in the first round to 12th seed International High of San Francisco 3-0 (21-25, 23-25, 24-26) on May 3. SJND finished the season with a 10-10 overall record.