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Photo courtesy of Westwood Public Schools. The members of the new Westwood High School varsity and junior varsity boys volleyball teams are pictured above.
Thanks to Westwood Public Schools for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.
Westwood High School (WHS) has added another sport to the roster of boys’ teams. Volleyball made its debut as a varsity boys’ team in 2025, after its inaugural season as a club team. WHS has had a girls’ team for many years. Of the 27 boys playing between the Varsity and JV teams, only three have previous volleyball experience.
“If you watch us practice, you’ll see some really great things and you’ll see things that don’t look so great,” said Varsity Coach Nathan Costello. “The first week you could see 100 percent improvement every day. They are the hardest working group of kids and are so incredibly positive and excited to learn.”
Costello, who is also a wellness teacher at WHS, said he does some of his recruitment in class, when students are playing volleyball. Players say they are drawn to the team aspect of the sport.
“I do a lot of individual sports like swimming,” said senior Adrian Wong. “I love swimming, but this is such a different feel, because with swimming you’re in your lane by yourself. It’s not the same feeling as sharing the court with five other people. I can swim as hard as I want by myself, and my other teammates can do the same, but we don’t necessarily need each other. I could never succeed in volleyball if I didn’t have the five other guys playing with me.”
Costello echoed that playing as a cohesive unit is the key to success.
“It is totally unique in that way,” said Costello. “When we watch film, I talk about the importance of making the first pass. Hitters don’t hit without a good first pass. Setters don’t have a chance to make a set without a good first pass. If the blockers aren’t in position, it doesn’t give us a chance to dig. It is a puzzle, and everybody has their own strength. It helps to have great individual skills where guys can do certain things, but you can’t do it on your own.”
The team will graduate 10 seniors this year, so growing a pipeline of players is crucial to the team’s survival and success. One way is through Costello’s connections with private volleyball clubs in the area. In fact, three of his current boys played on club teams.
Kenji Chen is a senior and defensive specialist on the team. “A lot of us seniors are going to be graduating,” said Chen. “I want to prove to the school that we are [a legitimate team], and also inspire others to play.”
Westwood boys’ volleyball competes at the Division II level in the Tri-Valley League where most of the high schools already have a boys’ team. For many years, volleyball was primarily played at larger, Division I schools like Quincy, Newton North, Newton South, Taunton and New Bedford, but more schools are starting programs. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association expects 150 high schools in the state will have a boys’ program next year.
