In the midst of playoffs, the varsity boys volleyball team will be competing in an invitational against Appleton North, Appleton West, Brookfield Central, Brookfield East, Cedarburg, Fond du Lac, Germantown, Greendale, Greenfield, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Marquette, Nicolet, Wauwatosa East and Wauwatosa West at Homestead High School on Saturday, Oct. 24.

“This is actually a very important tournament for us because we have a hard time playing in front of crowds,” Justen Newby, senior, said. “Considering that this is one of the largest competitions of the season, along with the added pressure from the home stretch of the season, the team is nervous–but we’re prepared. Hopefully, there will be a lot of people there to cheer us on; it’ll help us stay calm during our matches.”

The invitational on Saturday is a competition between all of the teams in Homestead’s sectional, so the pressure is on to determine whose team will be leading going into the final championships. Jacob Urban, senior and one of the team’s top players, is excited and confident about how his team will perform this coming Saturday. “We are very excited to play and prove ourselves against other strong teams in our sectional. We are playing to win the tournament,” Urban said.

“We have some of our greatest competition coming to this tournament, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we place,” Jack Quinlevan, junior, said. “Winning this weekend would put us in a really good position for sectionals and state, and I think we can do it.”

Joe Clemens, senior and libero of the varsity team, is prepared for the fierce competition. “There really is some tough competition coming to Homestead this weekend,” Clemens said. The Mighty Highlanders are proud of both their accomplishments and how far they made it so far this season. The boys feel good heading into this tournament and are hoping for not just a win, but also for a student section to cheer them on. “It’ll be a great day of volleyball for everyone,” Clemens said.