When you only have one returning player who has any varsity experience, you know it might be a tough season.
That’s what happened to Garden Spot’s boys volleyball team in 2025, finishinf 0-14, or in the last spot in Section 2, with a newcomer-laden lineup.
Now, veteran Coach Ben Rutt (left in photo) is hoping last year’s tough lessons translate into a winning record, maybe even a run for a playoff spot, in 2026.
“We were very inexperienced last year, and we just found ways to lose early,” says Rutt, starting his 16th year as Garden Spot coach.
“We’re trying to eliminate a lot of the mistakes that we had from last year, and trying to be more consistent. Last year, it always seemed that at some point during a match, we gave up a 10-point run, and that was always our demise.
“So we’re trying to communicate much better among our teammates, work harder defensively. We have a philosophy of ‘Defense First, Defense First,’ since defense sets up our offense, and also have more ball control.
“We learned how to lose last year -- this year we’re going to learn how to win.”
Junior Aiden Mininger (center among players), one of the players Rutt is counting on for 2026, agrees that good communication, plus “improving and competing,” will be key: “You have to have the trust that someone’s going to be there” out on the court.
Other leading returnees include senior Drew Weaver (left) and junior Jacoby Martin.
Rutt, in getting ready for 2026, has seen “some really good practices, but now we have to turn it around where it really matters.”
The Garden Spot coach and his top players met with the media at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Spring Sports Media Day, hosted by LNP | Lancaster Online at Penn Medicine Park.
