Take a step outside: the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and P. Cook is ready to serve. You know what that means Gloucester High School…Intramural Volleyball! When 2:07pm hits, the GHS Fieldhouse is booming with Volleyball enthusiasts gathering together to play competitive games against their peers. Since February 18th, the 2025 Intramural Volleyball Tournament has been a highlight of student life.
This year in particular, had an abundant amount of creativity with team names, including “Shrimp Mode,” “Opps/Cribbs,” and a crowd favorite, “How I Set Your Mother.”
The rules for participation are outlined in the official Intramural Volleyball Website every year, maintained by P. Cook. Anyone at GHS can participate, no athletic experience necessary. To create a team, you must include at least 3 girls and 3 boys, with a maximum of 11 people. Additionally, you must pick at least one teacher to play on your team to qualify.
The history of this beloved tournament goes back decades, all the way to the good old days of the 1980s: Great music, neon jumpsuits, and a full head of hair on Mr. Francis. This tradition was modernized by Francis in 2005, as a revival to his own Volleyball glory days as a student here at Gloucester High School. Although there is a wide variety of clubs and programs for the student body, IMVB allows athletes who are between the Winter and Spring Sports seasons to have some competitive fun with friends. Cook took the tournament over from Francis around 10 years ago, and has been passionately organizing it ever since.
“I just like seeing everybody come together,” GHS gym teacher Mr. Silvera said, “It’s one of the best things we have as far as bringing the school together.”
Up until this week, teams played lower stakes games to get through the bracket. However, Monday marked the beginning of the “double elimination tournament,” meaning teams that lose twice would be out of this year’s tournament. How I Set Your Mother, Lundquist’s Army, and Shrimp Mode were unfortunately eliminated, with the Average Joes and Chaos winning twice, and securing the top two spots.
On Wednesday March 12, the Average Joes finished in first. Captain Jack Silveria led the pack as Captain, with MVP Olivia Madruga sealing the deal. Laila Ciaramitaro, Eddie Rodriguez and Kadin and Ryan Lewis complete the student team, with teachers Ms. Aiello, Ms. Movalli and P. Cook rounded out the roster.
Congratulations to the Average Joes, The 2025 GHS Intramural Volleyball Champions!
