Stuttgart outside hitter Santino Bowen goes for the block against Ramstein outside Jayden-Shelton Murphy during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Trailing by three points in the middle of the fifth and decisive set against Ramstein on Saturday, Stuttgart coach Nicole Andre called a timeout.

After leading the match by two sets, the Panthers had watched that lead slip away as the hometown Royals fought back to tie the 2025 DODEA European North boys volleyball championship final.

In the huddle, the Panthers had one message for each other: They were determined to take back control of the match.

“We were down in the dumps,” Stuttgart senior setter Edmund Gavina said. “We came together as a team, and we just brought it back.”

And come back they did. Stuttgart scored eight of the next nine points to seal a 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 19-25, 15-11 victory in DODEA’s first boys volleyball championships north of the Alps.

“I’ve never been so happy before in a sport in general,” senior middle hitter Tymir Johnson said.

Making the title even sweeter is the fact the Panthers are in their first year of varsity play.

“Did we think it was possible? Yes. Did it take a lot of hard work and determination and teamwork? Yes. But did I plan on that happening? No,” Andre said.

Stuttgart outside hitter Will Cheviron spikes the ball during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match against Ramstein on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein setter Ivery Coleman hits the ball at the net during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match against Stuttgart on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart setter Edmund Gavina sets the ball for a teammate during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match against Ramstein on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramsteiin niddle hitter Reece Black hits the ball at the net during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match against Stuttgart on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein defensive specialist Hayden Negrillo-Lopez serves during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart libero Josiah Sinco bumps the ball while fellow Panthers Ru Taylor and Will Cheviron during the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match against Ramstein on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

While freshman Will Cheviron continued his tournament MVP form with 14 kills, it was Johnson and Gavina who did the most damage against the Royals.

It seemed almost any time the setter placed a quick ball for his middle to spike at the net, it ended up as a point for the Panthers. The two combined twice during the late surge to come from behind in the fifth set.

Johnson recorded a match-high 15 kills – all set up by his teammate – while Gavina amassed 34 assists.

The duo credited their chemistry back to their time as members of the program when it was a club team last fall. Gavina said he texted Johnson plenty of times during the offseason to see if he wanted to meet in the gym, further building their connection.

“This is why I love him so much,” Johnson said. “Today we got to put that connection to the test.”

“We spend so much time together he’s my best friend,” Gavina said. “I knew the one person I could count on is him.”

The Panthers continued their tournament dominance over the Royals to start the match. After sweeping Ramstein on Friday, the first two games of Saturday’s contest made it five straight for Stuttgart.

That’s when the Royals started roaring back. They went on a 13-4 run late in the third set to pull away and extend the match.

Then, in the fourth set, the two teams went back and forth before a kill by Royal Ivery Coleman completed a 7-2 run that made it 24-16 Ramstein. The senior setter recorded set point with a dink.

“It showed who we really are, that we’re never going to give up,” Ramstein coach Eric Kotzar said. “We’re always going to be in the fight.”

The Royals came out firing in the fifth set, too, with Coleman recording a pair of his six kills in the match. But they couldn’t hold on in the end.

Coleman paced Ramstein with 21 assists, while senior outside hitter Jayden-Shelton Murphy had nine kills.

Saturday marked Ramstein’s first-ever championship-match appearance in the program’s second varsity season. That comes a year after the Royals placed fourth against a field including the southern teams last year.

Kotzar said the players will be ready to take the next step in 2026.

“They know what it takes to get here and what it takes to win,” Kotzar said. “I think we’ll be back next year.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, lose five seniors – Johnson, Gavina, Chadwick Berrey, Braxton Nevin and Dane Westberry – but they also bring back talented players like the 6-foot-2 Cheviron.

And they could attract even more talent for next year’s squad after their success in Year 1.

“We hope to see more people interested, especially since we won Euros that there’s more attention drawn to boys volleyball,” Johnson said.