Men’s Club Volleyball Hosts Jamboree Tournament

The Men's Club Volleyball team participated in the 3rd Annual Jamboree Tournament on Sunday. This tournament included many different schools and ran all day. The Gaels played a total of eight games. The teams they competed against were San Francisco State, Northeastern, Cal Poly Humboldt, San Jose State, Chico State, Santa Rosa JC, Stanislaus State, Cal State Monterey, and Cal Poly Maritime.

The Gaels energy was through the roof and could be felt vibrationally throughout the Rec Center. This was especially true when they were challenged by the San Jose State Spartans. Joey Sabbah '28 led the game with amazing spikes, opening up opportunities for his fellow Gaels, specifically Logan Milestone '27, to score. Milestone was a solid asset on offense, consistently keeping the Gaels ahead on the scoreboard. His arm force was formidable and intimidating at the net. The final buzzer sounded and the Gaels were victorious! 23-18 was the concluding score of this match. 

Moving onto the next challenge, the Gaels were still flying on their triumphant high. Cal State Monterey Bay brought the heat, and it was clear they were just as ravenous for the win as the Gaels were. From beginning to end, this game was up for grabs by either team. When shots were fired from the Otters, Joey Sabbah '28 and Jimmy Cronin '28 came together like a wall to prevent a point scored against the Gaels. Gus Varela '28 stood in as an essential backbone, being a solid server and ensuring a pivotal save to put the Gaels back on track. Tension was high, and the clocking was ticking down. Who was going to take the cake? Well, in the remaining seconds, it was clear that Ryan Geissberger '28 had a real sweet tooth and scored the winning point! The Gaels and audience erupted in celebration. 28-26 was the final tally. 

Their last match of the day was against Cal State Maritime. The gentlemen serenaded their side of the court with their "God is a Gael" chant to keep the momentum going. Andrew Carney '27 made confident strides on both offense and defense despite having a minor injury. The Gaels did accurately score some points, but the Maritime Cadets ended up overriding these efforts. The concluding result was 16-25. 

Overall, the Gaels had a satisfactory day at the 3rd Annual Jamboree Tournament. Their teamwork really stood out as being a unique bond that could be seen and felt both on and off the court. The team spirit on the sidelines was undeniably hyped and the support shown when a teammate made a mistake was very heartwarming. This Men's Club Volleyball team is special, it's easy to gauge this through watching them cohesively play and uphold each other through good and bad. Their next home game will be Sunday, January 18th against UC Davis. Be sure to come out and support your fellow Gaels!