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The Berkeley High boys volleyball team’s postseason fate, which has hung in the balance since the regular-season finale on May 11, was finally decided on Sunday, as the North Coast Section seeding committee rejected the Yellowjackets’ at-large bid for a playoff spot. 

At 12-9 overall and 6-6 in league, BHS coach Justin Caraway went into the three-hour meeting believing his team’s numbers could compare favorably to those of other schools from different leagues. Though his squad’s record and quality of competition ranked among the four schools selected for the last four slots, Caraway admitted that there were just too many deserving teams to do justice to everybody. 

“There were a lot of very good teams there. I think, when it came down to it, our record against (top) teams wasn’t good enough to get us in,” said the coach, whose ’Jackets split series with Amador Valley and James Logan – two schools that were also overlooked at the seeding meeting. “I’m a little disappointed, I thought we’d improved so much over the past year. (But the NCS) put together a very good field.” 

Since Sunday, Berkeley High has received a glimmer of good news, as senior D.Q. Li was named to the all-league team by unanimous decision of the East Bay Athletic League coaches. The vocal court leader was one of just five athletes to appear on every coach’s ballot. Fellow senior Mason Chin garnered honorable mention honors.