by George Lewinnek ·
Friday, March 6, 2026
Ellie Pulido sets the ball. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The annual volleyball meet between senior students who are about to graduate from Bromfield and their teachers took place this year Friday evening, Feb. 27, in the school’s gymnasium.
Retired Bromfield English teacher Chris Jones explained that this had been an annual fundraising event featuring basketball until a few years ago. But the teachers and administrators had increasing difficulty recruiting teams who had the stamina to compete. At staff insistence, the contest was changed to the less strenuous game of volleyball. Every senior who wants to play may do so. Many relish the chance to have an athletic competition with their teachers.
Athletic Director David Boisvert explained that there would be 14 games during the evening. This included three involving fifth-graders, who are about to graduate from elementary school. To give everyone who wanted it a chance to play, the games were shortened to 11 points, down from the usual 25 points.
Students began to gather three-quarters of an hour early. Seniors played each other to warm up, with powerful overhand jump serves and skilled backline returns to frontline setters, who lobbed the ball into the air for spikers to deliver strong attacking shots from above the 7½-foot net.
Tyler Wachtelhausen, middle school physical education teacher, explained that these skills came from experience in groups outside the school. There is no varsity volleyball team. Volleyball clubs and camps have been growing in popularity across the commonwealth. Wachtelhausen noted the skills of the early arrivals, saying, “The staff will be in a bit of trouble.”
More students arrived, each wearing a jersey with “26” on the back, the year of their graduation, and their name or nickname. Families and friends filled the bleachers. Parents of one senior expressed amazement at the intensity of their daughters desire to participate. Even though she had hurt one hand two weeks ago, she insisted, “I can play with one hand!”
Once play was underway, it was clear that few of the other players were as skilled as those who had arrived earliest to practice before the event. Most of the serves were soft, underhand serves. Few of the points were scored on spikes. Returns might fail to cross the net or might land out of bounds—sometimes as a result of excellent play by the other side. One return soared to the ceiling. As it fell, it ricocheted back and forth three or four times within the beams before dropping into the opponent’s court. Both sides agreed that the return had gone out of bounds.
When it was pointed out to Boisvert that most of the servers had uncalled foot faults because they had stepped across the base line, he replied, “We don’t let the rules get in the way of a good time.”
For the fifth-graders, it was a challenge to just get the ball over the high net. And yet their excitement at being included and their efforts to conquer the game’s challenges filled the gymnasium with good feelings.
The most skilled play occurred in the second and 12th games, both won by the senior students. The students in those games, as listed on Boisvert’s schedule, were Evan Burek, Joseph Welborn, Wally Johannesen, Sahaj Patel, Liam Glew, Conor Glew, Noah Picariello, Ryan Cardoso, Cole Maddalone, Liam Kemeza, and Rowan Morine.
In the fourth game, Superintendent Linda Dwight served through an unusually long string of points. Who knew that her talents included volleyball?
Although the seniors won the second and 12th games, the staff won more games overall, but just barely. The staff won six of the 11 games against the seniors, and two of the three against the fifth-graders.
At the end of play, students swarmed onto the gymnasium floor to socialize with friends. Boisvert used his microphone to urge the high-spirited seniors to move toward the exits. He was still urging when the Harvard Press reporter left.
The Harvard Educators Association organized the evening both for the fun it provided and as a means to raise money. The evening brought in $2,869, which will be awarded as scholarships at the June 5 graduation ceremony. Fundraising activities included ticket sales, a silent auction, and a duck toss—a kind of lottery where a half-dozen lucky purchasers got a large, golden-colored cast figure of a duck and a Bromfield baseball cap.
For more photos, "In close competition staff edges out seniors for volleyball win."