Boys’ volleyball ends season in first section match

New Prague High School’s boys’ volleyball ended its season in its first match in the Section 1A quarterfinals, Wednesday, May 28. No. 3 seeded Rochester defeated the No. 6 seeded Trojans, 25-18, 25-18 and 25-13 at Rochester Mayo.

“Rochester came out of the gates playing with a lot of force, serving hard and taking big swings,” said New Prague head coach Greg Sayuk. “This worked in their favor, as we adjusted to their gym, which had a lot of low-hanging beams and rafters.”

Sayuk noted Rochester is a combined team between Rochester Mayo, Century, and John Marshall with Mayo being the host school for the team and the game being played there.

“After they (Rochester) jumped out to an early lead, we got our footing and were able to find some rhythm before dropping the first set 25- 18,” said Sayuk. “We started out the second set much better, going point-for-point until 13-13.”

After a Rochester timeout, Rochester went on a five-point run the Trojans weren't able to claw back from, dropping another 25-18 set.

“We started the third set strong once again, playing solid volleyball until around the 10-point mark,” Sayuk said. “Rochester found another gear, and everything seemed to be bouncing their way, taking the match in straight sets.”

Getting into the double digits for the match from New Prague was freshman setter Cole Hatlevig with 16 assists and senior libero Mason Noble with 10 digs. Two TrojanS’ seniors led in kills, outside hitter Adam Proshek and right side hitter Carter Miller, who both had five kills, next was junior outside hitter Max Wilson with four kills, senior middle hitter Tommy Christensen with two kills and senior mild hitter Will Radermacher with one kill. Wilson had five digs, followed by Proshek with three digs, junior defensive specialist Jack Tuma, Hatlevig and Miller all with two digs and Rademacher with one. Christensen had three blocks and Hatlevig had two.

Season highlights

“I am really proud of the growth we saw in the boys this year, as we went from practicing twice a week last season to being in the gym five to six days a week this year,” said Sayuk. “We played legitimate high-level volleyball, and that was really fun to see. We had a chance to play against a lot of really good teams, and showed steady statistical improvement throughout the year. I'm excited to see what we can do next year as the players in the program gain more and more experience.”

Sayuk said the varsity team improved its...

To see more on this story pick up the June 12, 2025 print edition of The New Prague Times.