![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)
Phoenix Commanded by the Captains
On May 11, the Phoenix varsity boys soccer team faced the #1 ranked Loudoun County Captains in one of their last games of the regular season. The matchup resulted in a hard fought Phoenix loss of 5-0.
Junior Carter Divalerio dribbles the ball to keep it away from Captains. “It was a rough season, there were some ups and downs, we took some L’s, but we’ll bounce back next season,” Divalerio said.
May 22, 2023
On Thursday, May 11, the Phoenix varsity boys soccer team played the top-ranked lineup in the Dulles district, the Loudoun County Captains. After putting up a solid effort to close out their season, the Phoenix fell to the Captains 5-0.
The game started out with a strong defensive front from the Phoenix, but the Captains began to take hold of offensive zone time, scoring twice early in the first half. The first half ended with a score of 3-0.
After the halftime break, the Phoenix took the chance to make some adjustments in their game plan. Attacking more on offense, key players, such as junior captain Ibrahim Rostom, kept the team’s communication high, voicing updates from across the field. While they maintained their intensity and had a few close shots on goal, the game ended with a Phoenix loss of 5-0. “I don’t think we were ready to go in that game, I think we were ready to lose going into the match, because we all know County is one of the best teams,” junior Keyaan Bashir said.
On Wednesday, May 17, the Phoenix varsity boys played their first playoff game against the Heritage Pride and took the win 2-0, moving onto the next round on May 18 against the Loudoun County Captains, again. The phoenix took a loss of 3-0, ending the soccer season as a whole. ¨[This season] was interesting, there were barely any seniors on our team, so we were just carried by a bunch of sophomores and juniors and this season didn’t really go as planned overall,¨ freshman Arjav Iyer said.
![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)