The defending District 11 champion Parkland High School boys volleyball had a rocky start to its 2022 season. The Trojans were defeated in their season opener against Whitehall in four sets.

But Parkland bounced right back, taking its next two conference matches over Bethlehem Catholic and Liberty in three sets.

Head coach Scott Trumbauer knew there might be some bumps along the road, but he figured that his team was good enough to bounce back and compete with anyone.

“It’s been going as I was expecting for the most part,” said Trumbauer. “We have a lot of learning to do, and the guys are really handling it well. We started the season with Whitehall, which really put the pressure on us, and despite the loss, I have been happy with how we have responded and continue to work together.”

The Zephyrs always give the Trojans tough matches, and the opener on March 25 was no different. Their service and defense is what Trumbauer thought worked best for them that night against his team.

“Whitehall put pressure on us all night with aggressive serving (11 aces) and offensively they took advantage of some matchups and caught us off guard in key moments,” Trumbauer said. “Their defensive movement also put us in tough situations because their libero was playing really well.”

Trumbauer was glad to see that opening loss didn’t into a losing streak.

“Everyone on the team has been pushing each other every day at practice, and we are starting to feel more comfortable with this year’s lineup,” said Trumbauer. “The guys just need more in-match experience with each other, and that will come with time.”

Trumbauer has seen some performances that have stood out to him.

“Seniors Lukas Dashukewich and Matt Bauer, along with junior Chase Robbins have all led us offensively,” Trumbauer said. “Senior libero Azhar Sumar has also been anchoring our defense this year and has made some incredible plays to keep us in games. Sophomore setter Will Stiles has been coming around really nicely despite having limited setting experience before this season.”

Parkland has EPC matches against Allen and Northampton this week before concluding the week at the Koller Classic Invitational at Central York High School.