Boys volleyball (7–5) fell to the Magruder Colonels (8–4) in straight sets in the first round of playoffs Thursday, ending the season for the Vikes.  

The team got off to a slow start in the first set, making errors under the high pressure atmosphere of playoffs, which cost them the opening set.

The away game environment also hurt the Vikes’ performance. Since Magruder’s gym has a much lower ceiling than what the players are used to, many of their balls touched the ceiling, making it more difficult for the team to execute their hits.

The Vikes picked things up in the second, leading to a more competitive set, but it still went in the Colonels’ favor.

With their season on the line in the third and final set, the players came out with a nothing to lose mentality. They played more relaxed and allowed themselves to focus more on the game and less on the outcome. Despite their final efforts, the Vikes still came up short, resulting in a heartbreaking end to their season.

“We felt pretty good having a winning season and beating some rivals,” backrow Zain Memon said. “But we’re disappointed by not going as far in the playoffs.”