Setting the Standard: Hamilton Boys Volleyball Tops State Rankings
Photos from Roberta Pratt.
Maddie Arthur
The Hamilton Charger Boys’ Volleyball team recently secured the No.1 ranking in the state following their thrilling victory against Germantown on September 18. Ever since that win, the team has been dominant in its performance. They have an 11-game win streak and are looking to continue against Wauwatosa East on October 16. The Chargers' sights are set on one central goal this season: win the State Championship.
The road to victory for the Chargers has not been an easy one. With the loss of seven seniors who were starters, there was a large void for the Chargers to fill. However, the current seniors rose to the occasion, taking on the large responsibilities with ease. Head Coach Grey Little praised the team for their willingness to take on these challenges, stating, “Most of the guys new to the varsity team for this year understood the large shoes they needed to fill and have exceeded expectations. The senior leadership as well as the willingness to improve has led to this team's success.”
In addition to their No.1 rank in the state, the Chargers are ranked second in the Greater Metro Conference (GMC) with impressive records of 31-4 (overall) and 5-1 (conference). Key matches in the season were at the Germantown tournament against top-ranked teams such as formerly No.1 ranked Germantown, No.3 Cederberg, and No.4 Marquette. Other notable highlights include the Chargers beating Kimberly in the Middleton Invite finals making them back-to-back champions and solidifying their No.1 state ranking.
The Chargers have big aspirations this season as they strive for excellence on the court and continue to improve. After sweeping Menomonee Falls in three sets, senior libero Ezra Mitchell highlighted some of the challenges the team has faced this season. “As a team, just communication, serve receive, and energy, and once we get that down, once we become a team and happy, we can accomplish anything.”
In addition to dominating the competition in their regular season, the Chargers are focused on their ultimate goal of winning the State Championship. Coach Little is confident in his team's potential and believes the team has a great opportunity this season. When asked about his goals for the team for the remainder of the season, he claimed the main goal was to “Win State. This team has proven they have what it takes to compete at the highest level against the best teams in the state. There is still a lot of work left for us but this team has the drive and heart to make a deep run in the tournament, and I am happy to be a part of the growth of this team.”
The team shares this passion for victory with Mitchell echoing the team goal, “Just to win a state championship; that's all we need.”
Junior outside, Benjamin Bayer, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel High School Athlete of the Week (Sept. 30-Oct. 5) echoed this notion, stating, “We’d like to go to State obviously and we’d like to win State. We’re just going to keep focused and play hard the rest of the season.”
The Chargers are a talented team that is thrilling to watch and fans are always encouraged to come cheer on the team. They will face Wauwatosa East at home on Wednesday, October 16. After attending her first boys’ volleyball game where the Chargers swept Brookfield East, Senior Gabby Weisgerber exclaimed, “I thought the game was great! Personally, this was my first volleyball game and I want to go to many more now because it was very hype. I think more people should come to support our boys’ volleyball team. We’re very talented and we’ve got a good squad here.”
The future looks bright as the Chargers remain humble and dedicated to achieving their goals.
The team has no plans to slow down as they work to continue their excellent season! Show up and show support for this team!
