P.K. Yonge volleyball got out the brooms Tuesday after sweeping the Eastside Rams in straight sets, (25-11, 25-23, 25-23).

For the Blue Wave (9-6), however, the home match was about much more than a sweep. 

The Blue Wave’s match against the Rams (3-5) served as Lung Cancer Awareness Night and to honor former P.K. Yonge multi-sport athlete Jeremy Martin, who died of cancer in 2014. Money was raised for the LUNGevity Foundation and lung cancer research. Martin’s family was presented with a framed jersey bearing the No. 10 that he wore during his time at P.K. Yonge in the early 2000s. 

For Blue Wave coach Chancie Vice the opportunity to honor Martin, who played football and basketball at PKY, made the night especially meaningful. 

“Having the opportunity to do something that is so close to home, I think is very valuable,” Vice said. “It was a really special thing that we could honor somebody that truly bled orange and blue.”

Once the pregame ceremony ended, the Blue Wave turned their attention to the Rams for the season sweep. 

P.K. Yonge started things quickly with a dominant 25-11 win in the first set. The next two sets, however, were as easy. 

The teams went back-and-forth for the closing sets, repeatedly exchanging the lead. The Blue Wave even found themselves down 16-12 in the third set before going on a 10-0 run. 

“The message though was you have to remember that you are the underdog,” Vice said. “You cannot get comfortable regardless of who your opponent is, and you can never expect to win.” 

Tuesday’s win marked the end of a three-match skid for the Blue Wave in which they had won only two sets. While Vice is glad to see the losing streak end, she mentioned her team still has room for improvement. 

“I think we got comfortable winning, and so tonight, I was proud of seeing that confidence come through in spurts, but it is definitely something we need to continue working on,” Vice said.

From one Ram to another, P.K. Yonge next travels to Interlachen for a match Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m.