The Hall High School boys volleyball team hosted Hartford’s Sport and Medical Sciences Academy (SMSA)/Bulkeley on Friday night in West Hartford.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Kei Caudle 

With spring break on its way in, the Hall Titans boys volleyball team started their vacation off with a bang. 

The game began with a swift serve from Hall’s No.14 Ankit Chochangi across the court. It was quickly blocked as each team member from SMSA dove for it. The gym immediately broke out into loud cheers while the ball was thrown around player to player.  

Barely a minute into the game SMSA was able to score a point against Hall, sliding past their line of defense. They quickly celebrated and fell into formation. Hall was prepared, with the players communicating their next move. No.20 for SMSA served, the score 1-0, with No. 1 for Hall Ian Waddington delivering a fast blow, only to be blocked. Despite Hall’s attempts at a comeback, yet another point was scored for SMSA, now 2-0.  

Their communication paid off as the ball fell out of bounds for SMSA, giving Hall a much-needed point, now 2-1. Shortly after a serve from No. 4 Toby Suplita, the ball slid from SMSA’s hands, hitting the ground with a smack, signaling the first tie of the game.  

No. 18 Colin McKenzie shoots the ball across thenNet as No. 14 Ankit Chochangi and No. 2 Joshua Ng assist. Hall vs. SMSA boys volleyball. April 10, 2026. Photo credit: Kei Caudle

Halfway through the game, a timeout was called, giving the hardworking players a much-deserved break to hydrate and talk strategy. With the score now 10-9, with SMSA in the lead, Hall was determined more than ever to ensure they ended the match with a win.  

Shortly after, the score was tied 10-10 after a grueling back and forth between players.  

With Waddington up to serve, Hall gained point after point due to fouls, slip-ups, and rigors hits. The boys showed their talents during the match with Suplita diving across the court and saving the team from a lost point.  

After an intense match, with screams filling the gym, the Hall Titans scored the final point of the match, winning 25-19. They had officially won their first match, giving them an advantage over SMSA.  

The second match began with a serve from SMSA straight towards No.2 Joshua Ng, who went diving across the court, sending it to Chochangi and No. 18 Colin McKenzie. With a quick shot from McKenzie, Hall scored the first point of the match, 1-0.  

No. 14 Ankit Chochangi and No. 4 Toby Suplita tun to catch the ball with No.1 8 Colin McKenzie close behind. Hall vs. SMSA boys volleyball. April 10, 2026. Photo credit: Kei Caudle

The precedent was set quickly, with Hall up 12-9 nearly halfway into the game. With each player jumping across the court, SMSA had met their match. Players flew across the courts, with teammates diving across to save the ball. With the score 11-7 in Hall’s favor, chants filled the air as the match slowly inched towards a close.  

With Chochangi serving once again, Hall was quick to knock the ball within SMSA’s court. Unfortunately, the fatigue was getting to them as Waddington’s quick defense resulted in a point for the other team. As each team reset, they devised their own strategy, determined to win this game. Talk of a tie was in the air, was it possible?  

No. 9 Jeremiah Ismael and No. 11 from Hall both jump for the ball against SMSA No. 1. Hall vs. SMSA boys volleyball. April 10, 2026. Photo credit: Kei Caudle

That question was quickly answered, as Hall won the second match 25-18. 

The third quickly started with a point for Hall as they slid the ball beyond SMSA’s reach. With both Chochangi and Waddington throwing massive serves, the crowd sat on the edge wondering if SMSA could make a comeback. With a 2-0 score, the answer seemed to be no.  

In under 5 minutes, Hall was now 5-0, with SMSA slowing down with exhaustion. As the crowd chanted alongside Hall, the energy was alive within the tiny gym. For a brief timeout, the second within the game, each team utilized the quick few minutes to tackle the other.  

Slowly but surely the game moved toward an energized win, with the Hall Titans winning the third match 25-14. After a grueling game, with energy high on both sides of the court, the Hall Titans, now 2-0 on the season, secured another win, 3-0.  

The Titans will be back on the court on both Monday and Tuesday, traveling to Platt and East Hartford respectively – and then have a few days off before continuing their six-game road trip at Southington on April 20.

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