“Hut!” An outside hitter in a maroon jersey shouts to his setter, hoping for the perfect set that he can smash at the opposing team. This year, the boys’ varsity volleyball team has knocked out the competition, dominating the court with a rock solid defense. With only one loss this season, the Cardinals have definitely made it clear that they will not just settle for second place.

Last Friday, April 22, the boys’ varsity faced an old enemy. The Galileo Lions, Lowell’s toughest competition, were dethroned after suffering a loss to Lowell through an ending set of 10-15. Continuing their winning streak, the boys’ game against Washington on April 6 was hardly a battle. They blew away their enemy birds, winning all three sets in the match. However, on March 24 the team suffered a devastating loss against Galileo, losing three games in the set with an ending score of 21-25. That game, after a shaky start the boys began to lose confidence, handing Galileo the lead with 30 unforced hitting errors.

Already more than half way through the season, the boys’ varsity has achieved a near-perfect record with the help of the teams’ consistent passing. The back row keeps the hitters’ covered, while still managing to deliver a perfect pass. The team’s Libero, junior Jeffrey Wong, who is also a reporter for The Lowell, was one of the large contributors to their defense. “I think our goal for the rest of this season and next season is to keep our hitting aggressive and our passing consistent,” Wong said.

How do the Cardinals keep their cool on the court? To maintain their physical fitness, and keep their playing precise, the boys endure two-hour practices everyday. Even pre-season, both varsity teams committed to two months of rigorous conditioning.

However, the Cardinals’ recent goal is to focus their attention on hitting. Their back row may be solid, but with an onslaught of unforced errors, the hitters are slowly giving away hard-earned points. “Mostly, our hitting is inconsistent,” junior setter Tenny Zeng said. “Sometimes our hitters aren’t aggressive enough.”

Despite their impressive season so far, the team still faces the tough challenge of stepping in to fill the shoes of the Class of ’10 players, as they are now solely responsible for the success or failure of the team. “We don’t have anyone to fall back on like we did last year,” sophomore hitter Enders Ng said. “This year, there’s no room to mess up.” With less than half of the season remaining, and only five games left, the Cardinals plan to stay on their toes.

Come support the Cardinals at 4 p.m. today in the Neff Gymnasium against the O’Connell Boilermakers as the teams rally for the win.

A version of this article first appeared in the April 29, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.