VOLT's Formation
​
Riley ('20) discovered VEX robotics when a spot opened up at the last minute in
the Tustin Public Schools Foundation's Summer VEX program in 2015.
​
He joined the Pioneer Middle School robotics B team that Fall for the VEX Nothing But
Net season. The Pioneer MS B team ended up in the finals of the TUSD VEX Robotics
tournament in January 2016 and won the Judges Award.
​
Riley failed to make the Beckman HS VEX robotics team in the fall of 2016. Inspired by
Omicron Theta, an independent team he met at a TUSD tournament, Riley decided to
form a team with two classmates, Eric ('20) and Derrick ('20). (below
left photo in the pit of VOLT's first tourney at Warren HS in Downey)
​
Our Inaugural 2016-17 Starstruck Season
​
During the 2016-17 VEX Starstruck regular season, we attended five local VEX tournaments in Downey, Chula Vista, La Jolla, Irvine and Norwalk. We were in the finals of three of these events. In February 2017, VOLT, along with its alliance partners Murrieta Mesa HS and Palos Verdes Penninsula HS, won the SME VEX Robotics Tournament at John Glenn HS along with the Judges Award. This qualified us for the California State Championship. ** Special thanks to Hien Pham for advising the team during the regular season and Bob Huss of the Robotics Society of Southern California.
​
​
California State VRC High School Championship
​
We arrived at the Pomona Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 11, 2017, with a new team member, Ryan ('19). Fifteen minutes before our first qualifying match began, we lost our pneumatic system when both solenoids broke down on the practice field. We made the pit repair with a few minutes to spare and went on to qualify for the VEX World Championship with our alliance Paige Robotics and Damien HS. (right photo - Ryan on the field at CA State - thanks Ryan for your help @ State & Worlds!)
​
​
​
2017 VEX World Championship
​
564 of some of the best high school VEX robotics teams from around the world converged in Louisville, KY, on April 19, 2017, for VEX Worlds (below is a video of one of VOLT's matches at VEX Worlds). We competed in the Science Division and finished with a record of 5-5. It was a great learning experience as we plan to return!
​
​
The 2017-18 In The Zone Season
​
We had a very successful In The Zone season. The team was a finalist in all of its tournaments and won two tournament championships.
We also won the Create Award at the South San Diego VEX tournament in November 2017 and the California State Championship Judges Award in February 2018.
​
We attended two California State High School Championship events in the spring and finished in the quarterfinals of both events.
​
In The Zone players included JJ ('21), Kane ('21), Andrew ('21) and Riley ('20).
​
11/4/17 Conquer the Zone (finalists)
11/18/17 South San Diego VEX (champions, Create
Award winner)
12/9/17 McBride HS VEX (champions)
1/20/18 Sultana Game of Cones (finalists)
2/10/18 Corona Stem Academy (finalists)
2/24/18 CA State Championship Pomona (quarterfinals)
3/10/18 CA State Championship Bakersfield (
quarterfinals, Judges Award Winner)
​
The 2018-19 Turning Point Season
We had a very successful VEX 2018-19 Turning Point season. On March 10, 2019, we competed in our third consecutive California State VEX Championship in San Diego, CA, and qualified for our second VEX World Championship held in April 2019 in Louisville, KY. Below is a video of a VEX Worlds match against the defending
world champion E-Bots Pilons (team 5225a) where we squeaked out a 1-point win in a hard fought match.
​
Turning Point players included JJ ('21), Kane ('21), Riley ('20) and a new player, Min Jun ('20).
VOLT Robotics Outreach
​
We have been and will continue to be volunteers and mentors in the VEX robotics community. We have volunteered at VEX IQ , VEX EDR and VEX U robotics events in Southern California serving as MC, referees, inspectors and clean-up crew. Our players have also mentored VEX elementary and middle school students in the Tustin Unified School District. (photos of our players at various events)
​
