The Cape Class of 2026 was celebrated at the 3-1 loss to Sallies. Shown are (l-r) coach Tyler Coupe, Blake Fitzgerald, Ryder Van Horn, Lawson Whaley, Braxton Figgs, Jason Harpel-Rickards and Kingston Davis. DAN COOK PHOTOS 
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill past Sallies Andrew Mahoney, left, and Alexander Jankiewicz. 
Whoever said volleyball was a non-contact sport never saw Sallies and Cape go at it. 
Senior setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads out the assists in the match with the reigning DIAA state champions. 
Junior Jacob Panyko bumps a return for the Vikings. 
Cape senior Lawson Whaley bumps a service return. 
Ryder Van Horn slams a kill through the Sallies front blockers. 
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a dig. 
Cape senior Ryder Van Horn roofs a block on the Sals.
Jacob Panyko serves a winner against the Sallies. 
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg gets some strategy from coach Tyler Coupe.
Cape senior Lawson Whlaey taps a kill over the Sallies block attempt. 
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a return of serve. 
Jason Harpel-Rickards, left, and Jacob Panyko make a diving play for the ball. 
Jacob Panyko makes a return. 
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads the ball out among the hitters. 
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill. 
Cape's Ryder Van Horn hits a jump serve.
The Cape squad gets psyched.
The Cape Class of 2026 was celebrated at the 3-1 loss to Sallies. Shown are (l-r) coach Tyler Coupe, Blake Fitzgerald, Ryder Van Horn, Lawson Whaley, Braxton Figgs, Jason Harpel-Rickards and Kingston Davis. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill past Sallies Andrew Mahoney, left, and Alexander Jankiewicz.
Whoever said volleyball was a non-contact sport never saw Sallies and Cape go at it.
Senior setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads out the assists in the match with the reigning DIAA state champions.
Junior Jacob Panyko bumps a return for the Vikings.
Cape senior Lawson Whaley bumps a service return.
Ryder Van Horn slams a kill through the Sallies front blockers.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a dig.
Cape senior Ryder Van Horn roofs a block on the Sals.
Jacob Panyko serves a winner against the Sallies.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg gets some strategy from coach Tyler Coupe.
Cape senior Lawson Whlaey taps a kill over the Sallies block attempt.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a return of serve.
Jason Harpel-Rickards, left, and Jacob Panyko make a diving play for the ball.
Jacob Panyko makes a return.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads the ball out among the hitters.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill.
Cape's Ryder Van Horn hits a jump serve.
The Cape squad gets psyched.
The Cape boys' volleyball team celebrated its Cape Class of 2026 players May 8, on their own hardwood, but dropped a close 22-25, 25-20, 15-25, 19-25 match to Salesianum.
The Vikings finish their regular season at 8-5. They earned the 11th seed in the state tournament and will face No. 6 Odessa in the opening round Wednesday, May 13.
"Losses are never an ideal way to end the season going into states," said Cape coach Tyler Coupe. "However, a competitive loss like that against the top team in the state can really give an extra push of confidence. From my recollection, Sallies hasn’t dropped [many] sets in two years, so taking [the second set] and remaining competitive throughout the match hopefully shows the boys that they do belong. Our service pressure was consistent, and we were able to get some quality block touches and turn them into positive attacks."
Coupe said Sallies' middle blockers really impacted Cape's attack.
"I thought [setter Jason Harpel-Rickards] did a brilliant job finding his attackers," Coupe said. "We tweaked our lineup a bit, and gave first-year player Anton [Schierenberg] the nod at libero. He’s a soccer goalkeeper by trade, so he has a natural ability to seek contact and anticipate reads with the ball which was great to see displayed."
The Vikings have confidence going into the state tournament.
"We have the ability to make a deep run in the state tournament if we continue to play how we did in the second set tonight," said senior Braxton Figgs. "Consistency will be key moving forward."
The Cape Class of 2026 was celebrated at the 3-1 loss to Sallies. Shown are (l-r) coach Tyler Coupe, Blake Fitzgerald, Ryder Van Horn, Lawson Whaley, Braxton Figgs, Jason Harpel-Rickards and Kingston Davis. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill past Sallies Andrew Mahoney, left, and Alexander Jankiewicz.
Whoever said volleyball was a non-contact sport never saw Sallies and Cape go at it.
Senior setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads out the assists in the match with the reigning DIAA state champions.
Junior Jacob Panyko bumps a return for the Vikings.
Cape senior Lawson Whaley bumps a service return.
Ryder Van Horn slams a kill through the Sallies front blockers.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a dig.
Cape senior Ryder Van Horn roofs a block on the Sals.
Jacob Panyko serves a winner against the Sallies.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg gets some strategy from coach Tyler Coupe.
Cape senior Lawson Whlaey taps a kill over the Sallies block attempt.
Cape libero Anton Schierenberg bumps a return of serve.
Jason Harpel-Rickards, left, and Jacob Panyko make a diving play for the ball.
Jacob Panyko makes a return.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards spreads the ball out among the hitters.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape setter Jason Harpel-Rickards sets Blake Fitzgerald.
Cape senior Braxton Figgs slams a kill.
Cape's Ryder Van Horn hits a jump serve.
The Cape squad gets psyched. Event Details :
