Senior Rohan Bhattarai helped the Baldwin boys volleyball team succeed this season by making it feel like family.
Bhattarai has played volleyball as a setter since he joined the Baldwin team his freshman year. It has since become his favorite team to play with, featuring the best friends he has made.
“I played for the Kokoro team over the fall and winter and a Nepali club team, but Baldwin’s volleyball is undoubtedly the best team I have ever been a part of. Everyone is equal and it feels like family,” Bhattarai said.
Senior Bibeak Bhujel said Bhattarai has contributed to that family atmosphere.
“Rohan was a good setter and a good friend. Even in times where he was not playing his best, he would give it his all,” senior Bibeak Bhujel said. “He’s helped the team a lot by being decisive and closely bonding with the team to get to know how each player works and reacts during a game.”
Sophomore Brayden Gremba agreed.
“Rohan is a great leader. Off the court, he’s a great friend and a role model,” Gremba said. “He makes the team better by just being there – whether it’s as a setter, a teammate, friend, or even a coach.”
Boys team Assistant Coach Robert Pack has been a role model to Bhattarai. Pack told him something he would keep in mind throughout his time on the team.
“Volleyball is like a rabid dog. Once it bites it won’t let go,” Pack said.
This quote stuck with Bhattarai because it helped keep him motivated during the season and reminded him to never lose his love for the sport.
Off the court, Bhattarai looks up to his older sister, Ambika Bhattarai, for advice.
“She has always been a great role model. She’s shown me how to be resilient and to compete,” Bhattarai said.
This was a special season for the players because Baldwin volleyball reached the playoffs for the first time in several years.
“No one thought we were going to do anything but lose this year,” Bhattarai said, “Being able to be the class that brought Baldwin back into the conversation of ‘which team is the best’ was my most memorable experience because it was something that was unthought of a couple years back.”
Although the team lost a close first-round playoff game this year, the team hopes to use that experience for growth next year.
“I think it’s strengthening the team for the future to work hard and keep pushing on and keep trying to make the playoffs and make it further than we did,” Bhujel said.
Bhattarai agreed.
“This was one of the best experiences of my high school career,” he said.
