Tree of Life boys volleyball builds an 18-win season on faith, growth and a strong finish
Tree of Life’s boys volleyball season delivered the kind of progress every program hopes to see. The Trojans finished 18-6 overall and 7-2 in conference play, met their goal of winning at least 16 matches and earned a top-10 regional seed, a strong reward for a team that found its stride after an uneven opening stretch.
That finish stood out even more because the season did not begin at full strength. With athletes missing early, Tree of Life had to work through a slow start before settling into a rhythm. Once the lineup steadied, the Trojans grew into one of the area’s tougher teams, stacking wins and carrying that momentum into the postseason. Their body of work was strong enough to secure the No. 8 seed in the region, and their tournament path brought a chance to compete against high-level opponents before the season came to an end in the regional quarterfinal.
The identity behind that run was clear throughout the year. Tree of Life centered its season on the theme of being planted, drawing from Psalm 1 and the image of a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season. That message fit the Trojans well. They stayed rooted through the challenges of the early weeks, then produced the results they were chasing when the season reached its most important stretch.
Individual honors reflected just how much talent Tree of Life put on the floor. In the GCBC, Jordan Barnett and Sam Kutnow received honorable mention recognition. Taylor Chou and Pascal Geiss earned second-team honors, while Jaeaun Payne and Calvin Spitznagle were named first team. Calvin Spitznagle also repeated as the conference Player of the Year, an award that underscored his impact on another successful season.
The recognition extended beyond the league. In OHSAA Region 5, Taylor Chou and Jay Payne received honorable mention and Calvin Spitznagle was selected first-team Player of the Year. At the state level, Calvin Spitznagle earned honorable mention, adding another notable distinction to Tree of Life’s postseason awards haul.
Taken together, the season became a story of resilience, development and follow-through. The Trojans set clear benchmarks, reached them, and turned a difficult start into an 18-win campaign with a deep enough résumé to earn a home among the region’s top seeds. Just as important, they established an identity that held up from the first challenge to the final match.
That is what should linger from this season at Tree of Life: a team that stayed grounded, improved as the weeks went on and produced both team success and individual excellence. The wins, the postseason berth and the long list of honors all mattered, but so did the way the Trojans grew into the season and made good on the goals they set from the start.
