On September 2 students gathered in the Hale Gymnasium for the now annual volleyball tournament.
Students created teams of at least six that spanned a variety of grades, genders, and themes. The tournament ran for several hours, whittling down fifteen teams into the final two: Team Darell versus Team Mwesigwa.
The volleyball tournament, which has taken place during the first weekend of the new school year for the past three years, is a fan favorite. Chas Arnold ’25 said, “It’s always a fun way to meet new people on the first weekend of school. Making teams that have people you haven’t met before is a good way to branch out.” DA tournaments have quickly become a staple of the Deerfield weekend activities rotation.
The tournament already has a hefty history, with winners including Teams Patton (2021) and Shanahan (2022). This year’s event proved to be no different. In an action-packed final, Team Mwesigwa came out victorious.
Kabir Sheth ’25, a member of the winning team, found the event exciting, saying, “The tournaments are always a fun part of any weekend, and to be able to win was definitely a bonus.”
Team Mwegsiwa was composed of members Barack Mwesigwa ’24, Shogo O’Connor ’25, Alex Fontecchio ’24, Steve Walsh ’24, Izzy Ramirez ’25, Teddy Cyr ’27, Jeffry
Kamil ’24, and Sheth. They defeated Team Darell, a team starring multiple varsity captains including Boys Varsity Soccer captains Kai Darell ’24 and Gavin Rigney ’24, who also captains Boys Varsity Baseball.
Team Mwesigwa, who entered the tournament late, made it into the final despite defeating several highly seeded teams, including Team Kunde, composed of multiple varsity volleyball players. Regarding Team Mwesigwa’s efforts, Alix Smith ’25 said, “They were a solid team. They had good chemistry and multiple Varsity athletes.”
Discussing his team’s second-place finish, Rigney said, “It was a great experience, even though we couldn’t win in the final. It’s just a fun tournament, no matter how serious you want to take it.” The runners-up overcame being seeded second-to-last.
The tournament also provided significant upsets, including Team Brennan (led by Jack Brennan ’25), initially seeded first, and Team Rice (led by Varsity Volleyball Captain Emily Rice ’24), seeded third, proving unable to make it past the first round.
With the first tournament of the year officially in the books, Deerfield students await future tournaments throughout the school year, featuring various sports and activities.