On Friday, April 28, the Archie Williams boys varsity volleyball team faced the Tamalpais Hawks in the MCAL Championship. The game took place in the Novato High School gymnasium, and fans from both teams filled the stands.

“We went into a classroom at our school,” said senior Caleb Simmons. “We were writing down every possibility and you know, you can practice as much as you want, but you forget everything when you start playing”.

In the first set, the Hawks started out hot, taking an early 10-7 lead. The Falcons clawed their way back into the set, eventually reaching a 21-18 lead. However, the Hawks won the set 25-22.

The second set began with the Falcons ahead 9-7, and they maintained a two-point lead until the halfway mark, when the Hawks tied the game at 12-12, forcing a Falcon timeout. After the break, the Falcons took the lead back at 23-19, but the Hawks ended up winning the set, this time at 26-24.

As the third set began, senior Alexander Lucich repeatedly returned to the referee tower, arguing several questionable calls. 

“We were upset about some calls, and since [Lucich] is the captain, he’s allowed to go up and argue some calls,” said junior Ellis Chamberlain. 

Despite the setback, the Falcons stayed in the game by winning the third set 25-21.

The fourth set was the most heated, with neither team maintaining the lead by more than three points at a time. The Hawks took a late 23-20 lead, then got two more kills, winning the MCAL championship game.

 “I think we hit really well,” Caleb said. “I think we did a great job on defense. Ellis Chamberlain, great digs. Yeah, we played a good game, we just made mistakes, and we beat ourselves.”

Falcons head coach Greg Jones took pride in his team’s performance in the game, regardless of the outcome. 

“We had a great, great time all year long,” Jones said. “It was just a little frustrating, because we gave away a lot of points tonight, more than we should have. But overall, I thought we played well.”