![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
Battle of the Birds: Phoenix Triumph in Tennis
On March 22, the Phoenix boys tennis team went up against the Briar Wood Falcons. The Phoenix won with a final score of 6-3.
Senior Arjun Vangala serves the ball during his singles match, with him in the lead at 3-1. “We knew we were playing up, so we were a little scared at the beginning,” Vangala said, “but then when we started hitting the ball and playing our game, we started to really go toe-to-toe with them.”
April 13, 2023
After a win against the Loudoun Valley Vikings a few days before, the Phoenix boys tennis team tested their skills against the Briar Wood Falcons on Tuesday, March 22.
In the first half of the match, the Phoenix took a strong lead in singles, winning 5-1. Despite the win, the boys felt that they could make improvements for future matches. “I definitely think we can be more aggressive from the baseline in singles,” freshman Akash Vangala said.
After their strong performance in singles, three doubles matches took place. During this contest, the Phoenix’s number one ranked player, junior Kaushik Muskari, was not present at the game. Therefore, the boys had to adapt and change their regular teams for doubles. “We kind of had to move up everybody [since our number one player wasn’t there],” senior Arjun Vangala said. “It was a different challenge and it was something we weren’t used to, but I feel like we coped with it well.”
As part of the adjustments, Arjun Vangala played doubles with his brother, Akash Vangala. “I play with him (Akash) normally,” Arjun Vangala said. “When we win, we’re really good to each other, but when we’re losing, we get extremely frustrated with each other and we just have to find a way to channel that toward our opponent instead of fighting amongst ourselves. I’ve known him for his whole life, and I know ways to motivate him and he knows ways to motivate me and we just work together well.”
In the end, the Phoenix lost two doubles matches and won one, bringing the final score to a Phoenix win of 6-3.
As the second home competition of the 2022-2023 spring season, the players feel like they have been adjusting well to the new team. “I’ve known these guys for a long time because of my brother, so I didn’t really have a difficult time adjusting,” Akash Vangala said.
The Phoenix’s next home match was on March 29 against the James Wood Colonels.
![In a historic presidential election, voters nationwide turned out to make their voices heard. Virginia’s 10th congressional district had three key national positions up for election: president, senator, and representative.
In the race for the House of Representatives seat previously held by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, the Republican Party nominated Mike Clancy, while the Democratic Party put forward Suhas Subramanyam, a former Virginia General Assembly Senator. Subramanyam won the seat with a 52% majority.
For one of Virginia’s Senate positions, Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao faced off. Kaine took the position with a 54% majority.
For the White House, current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump fought to obtain the 270 electoral votes needed to get the bid. News outlets worldwide tracked the results live, with close attention to seven key battleground states: Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina. Trump ultimately crossed the 270-vote threshold early on Nov. 6, with the swing states playing a pivotal role in his campaign’s success.
This election was the first presidential race for many Gen-Z voters, who entered a sharply polarized environment. Adela Booth, mother-in-law of Representative-Elect Subramanyam, traveled from Connecticut to support his campaign, encouraging young voters to engage in the political process. “Vote,” Booth said. “Get involved in politics. Even [if] you don’t think it applies to you, it applies to you. You will carry this debt. It will affect your grandchildren and you have to do something about it. You can’t sit back and watch anymore.”
✏️ and 📷 by Shivu Sathe](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)