Boys' Latin sweeps John Carroll for 2025 B Conference volleyball title

by Derek Toney

With a handful of first-time players - coinciding with the graduation of a huge senior class - Boys’ Latin’s volleyball knew the 2025 season would be "a learning curve." With each practice and game, the Lakers progressed. 

Friday evening, Boys’ Latin produced one of its finest moments. The Lakers won the MIAA B Conference championship with a straight set victory over John Carroll at Mount St. Joseph. 

The 25-23, 25-18, 25-19 sweep inside The Smith Center gave Boys’ Latin (12-5 overall) its first volleyball crown since winning the B in 2010. The Roland Park school also hoisted B Conference championship plaques in 2004, 2006 and 2008. 

The B Conference returned this fall after the MIAA split its 10 volleyball-playing schools into two conferences for the first time since 2012. 

“We knew we had a chance this year, especially after losing 12 seniors last year,” said Lakers junior outside hitter Justin Fedash. “We were really excited.”

Fedash and senior libero Tyler Puritz were only the returning starters from the 2024 campaign. They welcomed four teammates playing the sport for the first time.

“You have to turn into a coach instead of a buddy,” said Fedash, a co-captain with Puritz. 

“I have boys who have never played volleyball, and it's hard adjusting,” said Boys’ Latin coach Avery Engel, who played for his alma-mater a decade ago before moving on to star at Stevenson University. “But they did well to adjust because frankly, all that they needed to be is a strong team. The chemistry was there.”

After a hitting error put the Lakers down 23-22 in the opening set, Engel called a timeout. Boys’ Latin won the final three points to claim the set and never trailed after scoring the first four points in the second set.

“Coach told us that they were making a lot of errors and we needed to stop making ours, so just calm down, take a breath,” said Fedash. “We really need to slow the game down, and we knew  we were a better team, so all we had to do was put the ball and play, and we were going to win.”

With the third set even at 12, Puritz’s ace started a 8-2 run, putting the Lakers on the verge, 20-14. Fedash’s kill closed it, giving Boys’ Latin the rubber match over John Carroll, which won the first meeting (3-1) back in September.

“We had some new kids, our setter in our middle never played volleyball before the season, so it was more of a learning curve,” said Puritz. “We just kept taking everything in stride, brought the energy and we never looked back”

Patriots coach Timothy Kutcher said the Lakers’ outside hitting duo of Fedash and junior Brody Gray was the difference.

“Their outside hitters were just tough to stop…we did what we could blocking, but they ran an attack from the outside that was just, you know, hard to stop,” said Kutcher. “With their libero, they could pass every serve and they were able to run an offense pretty much the entire game…when we were serving, it was almost to their advantage to have a good pass from the libero and a big strong attack from outside.”

Kutcher was pleased with his team’s progress in 2025 (9-10) after winning four games last season.

“The thing I kept telling them all along was our goal was to be playing the most competitive at the end of the season, and I think in the postseason run we had, we did that,” said Kutcher. 

The Lakers’ confidence began to grow after a four-set win over eventual A Conference finalist Gilman in September. Boys’ Latin went 9-1, including playoffs, against B competition.

“I had hopes of it (winning championship) just because the boys were so motivated and they really wanted to win.. the development and effort that they put in has been extraordinary,” said Engel. “The time, staying after practice, sometimes asking for longer practices, we did film sessions, things that we have never done in the past.”

Puritz smiled as he looked at the championship plaque Friday evening.

“It’s always a great day to be a Laker,” he said.