A common ground for multiple Middle College High School students, Santa Ana College’s Village has housed the beginning of countless friendships. However, none are quite as dynamic and well-known as the class of 2026’s self-proclaimed “volleyball group.”
During their freshman year, original volleyball group members and now-seniors Daniel Garcia, Militza Herrera, Andrew Nguyen, Ivy Nguyen, Souliya Senethavong and Nolan Vo acquired a volleyball to bring in and out of schoolgrounds. Subsequently, their prototype group was formed.
The once-small circle started out by passing and setting the volleyball to each other during lunchtime. The playful routine made their 30-minute leisure mean more than just a time to eat, but a time of connection and community. Four years later, their tradition continues.
Although no original member had any idea of the long-term impact the volleyball group would have, they are highly satisfied with its development.
“I didn’t know it would last this long,” Herrera said. “But honestly, I’m grateful because not only does it help us increase our skill, it helps build our bond.”
Beside the benefit of refining sports skills, the volleyball group encourages emotional relationships via interactive play. A. Nguyen adds to this sentiment.
“Being part of this group helped me meet new people, have more friends, have someone to rely on in classes and helped me experience new events… It made the high school experience real,” A. Nguyen said.
The lunchtime activity promotes collaboration between students and strengthens what the high school experience represents to many: building a community meant to last.
Academics tend to be stressful, especially at MCHS. Maintaining passing grades in high school and college courses is a challenging feat. Volleyball serves as an effective outlet for students’ energy and is greatly beneficial to their well-being. Senethavong agrees on this topic.
“Having the volleyball group during lunch made it easier for me to stay at Middle College because there was something sporty to do, something athletic, rather than it being all academics,” Senethavong said.
The volleyball group is a fulfilling alternative for students who have an interest in sports, yet cannot pursue it due to Middle College’s limited opportunities.
“[Playing volleyball] was a way to substitute the lack of sports at Middle College. Other high schools get the opportunity to play sports, but since we didn’t have that here, I decided it’d be a good idea to play during lunch,” A. Nguyen said.
In a school that offers little to no sports, students developed a sense of competitive edge elsewhere. They did so via the formation of the Village Volleyball Group.
Multiple other grades joined in over the years, and the group expanded substantially.
“This entire volleyball group allows for many different grades, like freshmen, sophomores, juniors, mostly seniors, to just have fun and play v-ball at lunch,” Vo said.
When group members got wind of underclassmen’s interest in the group, they welcomed them to partake in the same pastime. Their acceptance of freshmen and sophomores refutes popular stigma that underclassmen and upperclassmen cannot have common interests or enjoy each others’ company.
While some underclassmen joined the original volleyball group, others decided to form their own. In the present day, there are three different groups of informal sports in the Village.
“I see a lot of other groups trying to play volleyball in different places, which gives me hope for it to last a while,” Vo said.
The addition of underclassmen also opens up the promising possibility that the Village Volleyball tradition will carry on even after the class of ‘26 graduates.
“I hope that the people we play with will carry on the tradition, and help the new freshman also break out of their shells, like it helped me,” Garcia said.
The volleyball group’s influence is undeniable, not just to students, but to staff, too. Campus supervisor Mirya Ruelas has been around since the very beginning of the group, and has seen it grow into what it is today.
“As the class of ‘26 gets ready to graduate and leave the school, they will leave something more for this school. We will recognize and know that it was the class of ‘26 who started the volleyball era,” Ruelas said.
Students of the class of ‘26 do more than just pass a ball to each other during lunch. They are passing down a tradition of acceptance: one that has been observed and mimicked by many. With enough care, there is hope that Village Volleyball will live on long after they leave to pursue bigger aspirations. Their legacy will live on at Middle College for years to come.
