On Friday, June 7, 2013 the Staples boys’ volleyball team was named class L state champions after a thrilling match against topseed Glastonbury. After losing the first match, Staples pulled through and won the next three to win their program’s ninth state championship and first since 2009 at Shelton High. The scores were 2426, 2517, 2513, and 2523.
Junior Lucas Grevers had 4 1/2 blocks, six kills, and five digs. He was also named MVP for Staples. Harry Hlawitschka ’13 also had a dominant game with 37 assists and 14 digs. Seniors Lucas Carstens and Jonny Denowitz had 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
“Our teams’ defense was very strong overall. Our passing and blocking were fantastic, which I believe is the main reason we were able to pull off a victory” Grevers said.
Senior Ryan Petersen believes Staples’ defense rattled Glastonbury from the start of the match. “They had to hit harder than they normally would need to score, when usually they just have to be consistent. I think our defense surprised them and they didn’t know how to adjust to that” said Petersen said.
It was the first state championship for the Wreckers since 2009 and the first for thirdyear coach Jon Shepro. Grevers believed that Shepro’s coaching kept them positive throughout the entire match. “Shepro always tells us to have fun, and when we do, we always play much better” Grevers said.
With the season now over, the players “couldn’t be happier with how it went,” according to Grevers. “We started off with a loss, but I think that was important because it made us more humble when playing other teams” Grevers said.
“It was the best senior year I could ask for in terms of wins and losses. This was a great way to leave the program, and I know next year’s team will work just as hard,” Peterson said.
