Amherst boys volleyball finishes 7-5 in ECIC III
Amherst Bee
October 31, 2012

Amherst’s boys volleyball team won its final two league matches of the regular season to finish 7-5 in ECIC III and tie Cheektowaga for third place.

The Tigers traveled to East Aurora and earned a 25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-13 win Oct. 23 and downed Depew, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 27-25, at home Wednesday.

The victory over Depew was the Tigers’ “senior night” and all seniors contributed to the victory.

Gabe Radoccia-Feuerstein handed out 21 assists, Alex Turecki contributed 10 kills, four aces and nine digs, Alex Ferro contributed three kills and seven digs, CJ Westcott had two kills and 19 digs, Colton Probst added three kills and 11 digs and Brandon Tabor recorded four kills.

“Senior night was a lot of fun for our players,” Amherst coach Paul Wlosinski said. “We played hard and our seniors were smiling through the entire match. I truly felt the joy and excitement of the sport as I coached them.”

Radoccia-Feuerstein handed out 39 assists and eight digs against East Aurora. Turecki (13 assists, 14 kills, 11 digs), Evan Hall (14 kills), Dante Merrill (three kills, seven digs), Probst (12 digs), Myron Harvey (four kills) and Ferro (five kills, nine digs) also contributed to the Tigers’ victory.

“This was a nice hard fought win,” Wlosinski said. “We started to get a feel for the urgency of a win and the playoff mentality.”

Amherst opened last week with a 21-25, 17-25, 15-25, non-league loss at Kenmore East on Oct. 22. Radoccia-Feuerstein (13 assists, two aces, five digs), Turecki (seven kills, six digs), Hall (seven kills) and Probst (eight digs) paced the Tigers.

Amherst, seeded 10th, faces Williamsville South, seeded seventh, in a Section VI Class B Tournament quarterfinal match at a yet-to-be determined date this week.

“We played them twice in non-league matches and lost both times, but we held our own so I know our team is glad we have another chance,” Wlosinski said.

East boys volleyball defeats South on ‘senior night’
Amherst Bee
October 31, 2012

Led by its seniors, Williamsville East’s boys volleyball team beat Williamsville South, 25-22, 25-18, 25-16, on “senior night” Oct. 23.

Coach Michael Braunscheidel said Tom Wisniewski recorded 20 assists, James Purkiss registered seven kills, Nick Reding played excellent back row defense, Matt Whiting played consistent at the net and was supported by Trevor Morcelle.

“They were determined not to lose that match,” Braunscheidel said.

Braunscheidel noted the senior class was part of last year’s 12-5 team — most wins in single season in school history — and this year, were runners-up at the Sweet Home Tournament, received a No. 7 ranking in the Western New York large school poll and finished 8-4 in ECIC II and 10-6 overall to lock up the eighth seed in the Section VI Class B Tournament.

East is scheduled to host ninth-seed Cheektowaga in a quarterfinal match Thursday.

“As a team, we are playing well,” Braunscheidel said. “We are serving consistently. We have developed other options — middles, weak side hitters — for attacking the net in crucial situations other than our outside hitters. Mike Wisniewski is carrying the team on the outside with his hitting, averaging 12 to 15 kills a match over the second half of the year. We could have a deep run in the sectional playoffs if we continue to play smart and continue our consistent play.”

Sweet Home downs East, teams split ECIC II crown
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee
October 24, 2012

Sweet Home’s bid to become ECIC II girls volleyball co-champions with Williamsville East at home Oct. 15 was looking bleak.

After winning the first game, 27-25, the Lady Panthers dropped the next two games, 15-25, 24-26, and trailed East 3-0 in the fourth game when coach Breean Martin called a timeout.

After the timeout, Martin felt her team took over momentum and won the fourth game, 25-22, and the fifth game, 25-15.

Sweet Home lost the first meeting to East in three games earlier in the season.

“The girls stepped up,” Martin said. “Beating them the second time around was one of our main goals that we set for ourselves and they wanted to achieve it. They did a great job.” 

East coach Scott Wright said the fourth game was the turning point of the match.

“We were up, 7-2, and, 16-12, and could not finish it off,” he said.

Overall, Wright said both teams played well, but his team made too many mistakes over the five games.

“If five or six points changed hands, it would have been a different outcome,” Wright said.

Both teams finished 11-1 in ECIC II. It was Sweet Home’s first piece of the ECIC II title since splitting with Lake Shore and Starpoint in 2009.

Many players stepped up for Sweet Home in the rematch.

Junior outside hitter Jenna Reeser recorded 21 kills, 23 digs and three aces.

Freshman Rachel Reusch had 15 kills, four aces and three blocks and with sophomore Emma Hubert, neutralized Williamsville East’s Erica Moser and the Lady Flames’ middle hitters, Martin said.

Martin said senior right side hitter Jess Padley did a great job defensively and consistently put up good serves, senior libero Kelly DiNatale supplied digs and defense and freshman setter Clare Hiwiller ran the offense well.

“Clare made good choices with the ball,” Martin said. “She knew that our middles were dominating and she kept feeding the middle and giving Jenna great sets that she took advantage of.”

Moser led East with 28 kills. East’s two starting setters, senior Ally Rung and sophomore Natalie Berrafato, each recorded 17 assists. Wright noted the play of freshman outside hitter Carly Shifflet and senior libero Dominique DiPietro.

Sweet Home (13-2) closed out the week by beating Niagara-Wheatfield, 25-19, 25-11, 25-14, Wednesday at home and losing at Frontier, 23-25, 21-25, 21-25, Friday. Sweet Home hosted Clarence Tuesday, but the result of the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

“Every day we work on any inconsistencies that we have, so as long as we minimize that, we really do have a lot of puzzle pieces that come together to make a powerful unit,” Martin said.

East’s other match last week was a 25-19, 25-16, 25-14 win over Lockport Friday at home. Moser recorded 12 kills.

The match was East’s senior night. The senior class finished 33-3, won two league titles and appeared in a section final in their tenure with the team.

East (13-2, 11-1) played at Williamsville North on Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. 

email: pnagy@beenews.com

Sacred Heart defeats Lake Shore on ‘senior night’
Amherst Bee
October 24, 2012

Sacred Heart’s seniors performed well in the Sharks’ “senior night” game Monday, defeating Lake Shore, 25-11, 25-23, 25-17.

Sacred Heart seniors contributing to the win were Emily Ludwig (six kills), Kelly Farrell (six kills), Shelby O’Neil (five kills), Rosemary Stry (five kills) and MC Duggan (12 digs). Ludwig, Farrell and Natalie Reesor have competed on varsity for three years each.

O’Neil, Stry and Duggan, along with Lauren Ackerman and Kaitlyn Falk have each competed on varsity for two years.

“The memories shared, along with their time and dedication to the program, will leave lasting legacy remembered for years to come,” Sharks coach Allison Boehm said.

Sacred Heart (9-6, 7-5) travels to Nardin at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The winner should get the third seed for the upcoming Monsignor Martin Association playoffs.

Nardin rallied to win the team’s first meeting on Sept. 26, 25-17, 23-25, 17-25, 24-26.

Boehm said the team’s success will depend on which team shows up to compete.

“We have been able to hang with some quality opponents throughout the season, but this is the one that matters,” Boehm said. “Teamwork is the key to this week as emotions will be running high. Strong on the court leadership by junior setter Carlee Conway will tell the story of how successful we are this week. If she can take charge and be a calming yet strong leader, we will end up on top.”

The Williamsville North boys volleyball team has always fared well at the Williamsville South Tournament and this year was no different.

The Spartans beat host school Williamsville South, 25-21, 25-19, to win the tournament for the second time in three years. Last year North lost to South in the finals.

“It was a good match,” North coach Mike Minnuto said. “South played well. We forced more mistakes than they did and in end we won the match.”

Minnuto said his team took the momentum of beating Williamsville East in semifinals, 25-11, 23-25, 30-28, into the finals.

The Spartans went 5-1 in pool play, beating Williamsville South, Williamsville East, Cheektowaga, Lockport and Starpoint and losing to St. Mary’s of Lancaster. 

Tournament MVP Tyler Penberthy hit at outside and middle hitter, leading North in kills throughout the tournament.

“His experience, along with his physical ability, makes it tough to play against,” Minnuto said. “Between his back row passing and front row blocking and hitting, it was well deserved for him to be named tournament MVP.”

Setter Mike Szelazkiewicz was named to the All-Tournament Team.

“He did a phenomenal job setting and had a couple kills on free balls that came over,” Minnuto said. “He did a great job distributing the ball.”

Minnuto also liked the play of seniors Marc Peterson (outside/ middle hitter), Justin Fillmore (outside, led team in serving), Zach Morrison (middle) and Connor Gust (libero, led team in digs) as well as sophomore Dylan Lambert (right side) and junior Connor Mergler (middle/ outside).

Senior Scott Kiely and sophomore Sam Cimato both contributed at outside hitter. 

North is 7-2 overall and 2-2 in ECIC I. Their wins have come over Lancaster, West Seneca West, Starpoint, Williamsville South, Williamsville East, Amherst and Maryvale.

“Our goal was to start off the season strong and I think we have,” Minnuto said.

North also went 5-1 in pool play at the Sweet Home Tournament before getting upset by Lancaster in the semifinals. North traveled to Lancaster Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They host Frontier Thursday and Clarence Friday. 

email: pnagy@beenews.com  

Webster Schroeder Invitational
9/29/12

Team: FINALS Orchard Park 25-21-25, Penfield 22-25-22 SEMIFINALS Orchard Park 25-25, Spencersport 14-16 QUARTERS Fairport 25-25, West Irondequoit 18-17 Penfield 25-25, Webster 20-13 Spencerport 25-25, St. Francis 21-22 All tournament team: Kevin Donahue (OP), Trey Cimorelli (OP). MVP: Tyler Eagleton (OP)

Individual: FINALS Orchard Park 25-21-25, Penfield 22-25-22 SEMIFINALS Orchard Park 25-25, Spencersport 14-16 All tournament team: Kevin Donahue (OP), Trey Cimorelli (OP). MVP: Tyler Eagleton (OP)

Williamsville South Tournament
at Williamsville South HS
9/29/12

FINALS Williamsville North 25-25, Williamsville South 21-19 BRONZE MATCH St. Mary’s/Lanc. 25-25, Williamsville East 20-20 SEMFINALS Wsmv. South 25-25, St. Mary’s/Lanc 21-22 Wmsv. North 25-23-30, Wmsv. East 11-25-28 

All-tournament: Mike Swalaskowitz (WN), Anthony Podgorsak (WS), Steve Zaprowski (WS), Alex Wehrlin (WE), James Purkuss (WE), Tyler English (SML), Marc Gonzalez (SML). MVP: Tyler Penberthy (WN).

High School Boys Volleyball: Improving Hamburg climbing the WNY ranks 
By: Michael J. Petro | Sports
Thursday September 27, 2012

When Brian Carroll says his team is getting better each week of the season, he is not just looking to repeat a head coach’s cliche.

Hamburg has literally improved how well its fared in tournaments and divisional matches, while moving up the ranks of the Western New York large school poll, since the season-opening Clarence Tournament over Labor Day weekend.

Beginning the season ranked 10th, the Bulldogs were unable to qualify for the top bracket in Clarence, but since have started the ECIC Division III season 3-0, including beating sectional champion Frontier, and performed better in their past two tournaments, including winning a title at the Sweet Home Tournament over the weekend (Sept. 22).

The play of the Bulldogs has also moved them all the way up to third in the latest Western New York poll.

“We’ve grown an awful lot since the start of the season,” said Carroll, who also noted that a week after the Clarence Tournament on Sept. 1 his team advanced a round further at the competitive Eden Pan-Am Tournament. “Every week, we’ve gotten better and crossed a hurdle.”

Carroll considers his team to be young — after losing five regulars from last year’s lineup to graduation, but a number of his underclassmen did get to see time on the floor last year and are beginning to reap the benefits from it.

“We’ve got a lot of new kids in positions they haven’t played before, but we’re not rebuilding, we’re reloading,” Carroll said. “We had underclassmen consistency playing last year. It just took a little while for the kids to see they could be successful. When we played Frontier, the guys looked very comfortable in the lineup and they all played really well.”

As Section VI’s undisputed top team over the past two seasons, Frontier frustrated many fellow Western New York foes, cross-town rival Hamburg included. But that changed the first time the two met in 2012 as new division mates, with Hamburg moving up from ECIC II.

On Thursday (Sept. 20), Hamburg won in four games over a Frontier team building back up again after losing four all-Western New Yorkers from last season.

Tony Guzzetta, a libero the past two seasons turned setter this year, led the Bulldogs with 27 assists. Carroll said Guzzetta’s been getting assistance from the passing efficiency percentage of top passers Pat Stroh, Connor Krolikowski and Davd Suchan jumping from about 60 to 90 over the past few weeks. Guzzetta also brings plenty of smarts to the floor, having a 95 average in school.

Also in the match, Hamburg pulled away thanks to contributions from a number of hitters, including Ben Michaels, Trevor Vail, Zach Yerington, Krolikowski and Stroh. Carroll said all of those players are above six-feet tall and well-rounded with the capability to move from left to right or play in the middle if need be.

“Frontier was solid until about the 13 to 15 point mark but they had a hard time sustaining what they were successful at after that,” Carroll noted. “We pushed through and stayed focused a little longer. Every one of our hitters can take care of the ball.”

With Horbachewski and Michaels moving to the middle this season and Krolikowski being a standout on the outside among the overall depth of the hitters, Carroll believes it is difficult for oppositions to put a block on his team or focus on stopping just one or two players. If opponents try to stop a specific player, he said Guzzetta goes somewhere else with the ball.

It was certainly that way at the 40th annual Sweet Home Tournament, where Hamburg coasted through six games in pool play, before needing to come-from-behind in three games (15-25, 25-23, 15-13) to beat hot-streaking Williamsville East in the final. East had beaten Eden and Clarence to advance. Guzzetta and Krolikowski both made the all-tournament team.

Hamburg had beaten tough division foe Clarence both games in pool play after defeating its ECIC I counterpart 3-1 on Sept. 18.

Carroll was happy to get all 18 players on the team into a match at some point during the tournament and looked upon his team very positively for the way each and every one cheered for the other whether on the court or not.

“A key is that the guys really like each other,” Carroll said. “Some of the boys saw their playing time decreased because of other players stepping up but they’re still being positive and supportive of each other. They’re like a family.”

Hamburg finally lost an ECIC I match, falling in four (25-21, 25-23, 17-25, 27-29) to division front-runner Orchard Park on Sept. 24. Carroll noted that solid performances were turned in by hitters Ryan Dils, Horbachewski and Yerington, while the serve-receive of Stroh, Krolikowski, and Suchan was strong. Guzzetta distributed the ball well and Vail added three kills and two blocks.

Undermanned East volleyball team reaches first tournament final in school history 
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee
September 26, 2012

Williamsville East’s drought of reaching a volleyball tournament final is over.

The Flames took runner-up at the 40th Sweet Home Invitational Saturday at Sweet Home. Hamburg defeated East in the championship match, 25-13, 22-25, 15-13.

East’s performance is amazing because they only had six players for the entire tournament, which started with warm-ups at 7:30 a.m. and ended around 3 p.m. with about an hour break. You need six to players for a match.

“I was proud of the way they played,” East coach Michael Braunscheidel said. “They left everything on the court.”

East finished 3-3 in pool play, beating Starpoint, 25-18, 25-21, splitting with Clarence, 12-25, 25-18, and losing to Hamburg, 15-25, 9-25. They went on to the quarterfinals where they downed Clarence, 25-22, 9-25, 15-11, and Eden in the semifinals, 25-23, 27-25.

Senior outside hitter Michael Wisniewski and junior setter Tom Wisniewski were both named to the All-Tournament Team.

“We rode Michael on the outside for his hitting,” Braunscheidel said. “Whenever we needed a big-time kill or a big point, he delivered. Tom hustled and gave every ounce that he possibly could and played smart and heady.”

Braunscheidel was also proud of the rest of the team’s performances, including senior outside hitter James Purkiss, senior middle hitter Matt Whiting, senior weak side hitter Nick Reding and junior middle hitter Alex Wehrlin.

“James was steady all game on the service line, along with his back row defense and timely hitting,” Braunscheidel said. “Nick played fantastic defense. When the ball came to him, he kept it in play. Alex was huge blocking and his serve-receive was excellent. Matt was our spark plug. He kept us together when things were not going in our favor and had timely hitting and blocking.”

Sophomore libero Dylan Cicero is out until October with an injury, but Braunscheidel said he supported the team by helping with positioning on the court.

East is 2-2 in ECIC Division II, beating Sweet Home and West Seneca East and losing to Lake Shore and Starpoint. They are 2-4 overall with losses to Williamsville North and Clarence.

East played at Iroquois Monday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They play at Williamsville South at 7 p.m. Thursday.

East will compete in the Williamsville South Tournament at 9 a.m. Saturday. 

Sweet Home 

The Panthers went 4-2 in pool play, losing to Williamsville North, 14-25, 19-25, and then beating Eden, 25-18, 27-25, and Lancaster, 25-17, 25-21. Sweet Home then lost to Eden in the quarterfinals, 22-25, 19-25.

Sweet Home coach Rich Cicero said the reason his team lost to Eden in the quarterfinals was because of a number of reasons, including balls put out of bounds, not being in position to make a good swing, but he was encouraged that they beat Eden and Lancaster in pool play.

Cicero said middle hitter James Nix led the team in stuffed blocks and left side outside hitter Taylor Sutherland led the team in kills. Both lead in those categories throughout the season.

Sweet Home is 3-3 in ECIC II, recording victories over Iroquois in five games and West Seneca East and Starpoint in three games, and losing in three games to Lake Shore, Williamsville East and Williamsville South.

Cicero said if the team starts to believe in itself and puts forth an effort, they can play with everybody.

“I’m expecting more out of them,” Cicero said. “They are not communicating. If we reduce the amount of unforced errors, we have a shot.”

Sweet Home does not return to action until they host Iroquois at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 2.  

Amherst records energetic win at Depew 
Amherst Bee
September 26, 2012

The Amherst boys volleyball team (2-5, 2-2) used the energy generated from its exciting five-game home loss to Maryvale Sept. 18 to record a 25-17, 25-19, 25-23 win at Depew Thursday.

“Our energy carried over from Tuesday,” Amherst coach Peter Wlosinski said. “We had 14 kills, two blocks and two aces in game one. That doesn’t happen often. Game two continued with solid control with good serve and serve receive. I was worried about pulling out a win in game three because we were down 17-23 but Colton Probst brought three aces and served the last eight points of the game.”

Probst finished with four aces and nine digs.

Dante Merrill (three kills, four assists, ace, three digs), Andrew Olkowski (six digs), Alex Turecki (kill, three aces, seven digs) and Gabe Radoccia-Feuerstein (20 assists) were other notable contributors for the Tigers.

Amherst’s match against Maryvale went back and forth. Amherst lost the first game, 20-25, won the second game, 25-23, lost the third game, 21-25, won the fourth game, 25-18, and dropped the fifth game, 21-25.

Amherst fell behind 10-20 in the fifth game, but Wlosinski said his team found a way to gain control of the match.

“You could see it in all of the players’ faces,” Wlosinski said. “Maryvale was scared of what we brought to the game.”

Amherst cut the deficit to 20-22, but Wlosinski said the team handed Maryvale the win with two missed serves.

Amherst opened the fourth game with an 8-2 lead. The Tigers’ advantage fell to 17-15, but after a timeout, Amherst went on a six-point run to regain control.

Wlosinski said Maryvale got off to a great start in the third game and his team managed only one kill.

He said the game two victory was a hard-fought win.

“I reminded the players how important it was to win this game, otherwise we’d have to win the next three if we wanted to win the match,” Wlosinski said. “We dug deep and played smart.”

Wlosinski said the game one loss was tough because they had good control but ended with hitting and serving errors.

Turecki led the Tigers’ offense with 10 kills, four aces and six digs.

Others who contributed were Christian Green (six kills), Evan Hall (four kills, three blocks, four digs), Alex Ferro (three kills, five digs), Probst (five digs) and Radoccia-Feuerstein (21 assists, four aces, six digs).

Amherst hosts East Aurora at 6 p.m. Friday.

Wlosinski said the team is getting a good understanding of what it takes to win.

“Through our determination on defense, we are finding a way to keep the ball up and making an attack on the ball,” Wlosinski said.  

North girls volleyball team wins on the road 
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee 
September 26, 2012

The Williamsville North girls volleyball team has been successful on the road to the start the 2012 season.

Three of the Lady Spartans’ first four ECIC I matches have been away and North has recorded victories.

After winning at Frontier in four games Sept. 7, the Lady Spartans recorded a 25-13, 25-21, 25-15 victory at Hamburg Sept. 11 and posted a 25-12, 12-25, 25-17, 25-21 win at Clarence Wednesday.

North’s other league game was a grueling five-set 18-25, 25-10, 15-25, 25-18, 25-23 victory over Lancaster at home Sept. 13.

North coach Keith Hopkins called the team’s win over Hamburg “probably our best overall performance all year.”

“Everybody was firing on all cylinders,” he said. “We were serving to the right spots and playing disciplined defense.”

North came out smoking in the first game, building a 16-3 lead.

Senior Emily Hopkins served 11 straight points in the game.

She finished the match with five aces and 17 assists.

Sophomore Lauren Schreiner — added six kills and senior Haley Adams added seven aces.

The Hamburg match was a rematch of last year’s Class A sectional final won by North. 

North and Clarence split the first two sets.

Clarence took a 5-0 lead in the third game when North senior Allison Corretore recorded a solo stuffed block in the middle that rejuvenated the team, coach Hopkins said.

Adams added 13 kills and sophomore Andrea Kiely handed out 15 assists in the match.

North trailed Lancaster, 22-20, in the fifth game, before they rallied for the win.

Emily Hopkins recorded the game-winning kill. She also had a big block in the game. 

Emily Hopkins finished the match with 13 kills and 27 assists.

Sophomore Kailee Terrance served 13 points throughout the match and provided dynamite passing, coach Hopkins said.

Senior Haley Short contributed 37 digs.

North also hosted Section V’s Mercy Friday in a rematch of last year’s regional won by Mercy.

Mercy’s size was too much for North to overcome, falling, 19-25, 13-25, 18-25.

“The scores were not indicative of how competitive the match was,” coach Hopkins said.

“We battled as best we could but their lineup includes girls who are 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-1. We could not get a ball past their block at times.”

Short recorded 25 digs.

Should Mercy advance to the regional game this year, they would play up at Class AA.

North closed out the past week by winning the gold bracket — 13th overall — of the Frontier Tournament Saturday.

The Lady Spartans lost to St. Mary’s of Lancaster, split games with Immaculata and beat Lake Shore to finish third in their pool.

North then beat North Tonawanda and Falconer for the gold bracket title.

North (4-0, 9-5-2) hosted West Seneca West Monday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

The Lady Spartans travel to Orchard Park at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

OP is ranked first and North is ranked second in Western New York large schools.  

High School Extra: Quakers dig out win over Hamburg
9/24/12

In a match that could rival any sectional final, the Orchard Park boys volleyball team edged Hamburg in a four-game contest that on numerous occasions brought the roaring crowd to its feet. The play was solid on both sides as OP held on to win 25-21, 25-23, 17-25 and 28-26.

OP entered the match ranked No. 2 in the WNY coaches poll while Hamburg was No. 3. Libero Trey Cimorelli was the difference-maker with 32 digs and Kevin Donahue had 17 kills as OP moved to 7-2 overall.

"It was a real tight match, we'd get a little bit of a lead but their libero kept making play after play," said Hamburg coach Brian Carroll.

Kenmore Tournament
Boys
9/22/12

Individual
Gary Tocke Tournament Finals Grand Island 25-25-25, Ken. East 27-22-21 Pool play N. Tonawanda 25-21, Ken. West 14-25 Grand Ialnd 25-25, Ken. West 16-17 Ken. East 25-25, Ken. West 16-17 Grand Island 25-25, N. Tonawnada 23-19 Ken. East 27-25, North Tonawanda 25-12 Grand Island 25-25, Ken. East 22-19 MVP: Brock Tetreault (GI) All-tournament: Tyler Rymarczak (KW), Ryan Fritz (NT), Kyle Patterson (KE), Michale Croford (KE), Kyle Burns (GI), Adam Hefka (GI) Grand Island beat defending champion Kenmore East 25-27, 25-22, 25-21 to win the 4th annual Gary Tocke Volleyball Tournament, formerly the Ken-Ton Tournament. Brock Tetreault ofGrand Island was named the event's MVP. "It was of the best finals I've ever seen," said tournament namesake Gary Tocke, the coach at Kenmore West. "They were both after each other, playing very competitively, It was point against point." Named to the all-tournament was Tyler Rymarczak (Kenmore West), Ryan Fritz (North Tonawanda), Kyle Patterson (Kenmore East), Michale Croford (Kenmore East), Kyle Burns (Grand Island), Adam Hefka (Grand Island).

Sweet Home Invitational
Boys
9/22/12

Final Hamburg 25-22-15, Wmsv. East 13-25-13 Semifinals Hamburg 25-25, Lancaster 15-21 Wmsv. East 25-27, Eden 23-25 Quarterfinals Hamburg 25-25, Starpoint 13-10 Wmsv. East 25-9-15, Clarence 22-25-11 Lancaster 25-25, Wmsv. North 23-18 Eden 25-25, Sweet Home 22-19 Pool A Wmsv. North 25-25, Sweet Home 14-19 Lancaster 25-20, Eden 18-25 Clarence 25-25, Starpoint 22-17 Hamburg 25-25, Wmsv. East 15-9 Sweet Home 25-27, Eden 18-26 Wmsv. North 25-25, Lancaster 17-21 Hamburg 25-25, Clarence 18-22 Wmsv. East 25-25, Starpoint 18-21 Sweet Home 25-25, Lancaster 15-21 Wmsv. North 25-20, Eden 18-25 Clarence 25-18, Wmsv. East 12-25 Hamburg 25-25, Starpoint 21-13 

Sacred Heart girls volleyball begins league play 3-0 
Amherst Bee
September 19, 2012

The Sacred Heart girls volleyball team opened league play with three victories last week, beating Holy Angels, 25-16, 25-24, 25-20, Sept. 10, O’Hara, 25-17, 25-18, 25-13, Wednesday and Mount Mercy, 25-8, 25-21, 25-6, Friday.

Sharks coach Allison Boehm said her team was able to jump on Mount Mercy early with their ability behind the serving line.

Kelly Farrell began the first set with nine straight points, including three aces. Rosemary Stry pushed along the second set with nine straight points, including five aces.

Georgi Stoj finished off the match with 16 straight points, including six aces in the third set.

Emily Ludwig had six kills and Farrell added four kills.

Boehm said the O’Hara match was managed by aggressive serving by her team.

“We have been really trying to make this a point of emphasis since the season began,” she said. “The girls did a great job using their serve to attack the game right from the start.”

Carlee Conway began the first set with nine straight points, including four aces. 

Shelby O’Neil went on a similar roll to bring home the win in the second set with eight straight serves, including two aces.

Stry finished out the match in set three with 10 straight serves, including two aces.

Boehm was pleased with her team’s performance against Holy Angels.

“The first match is always tough, but the girls did a great job stepping up and competing,” she said. “It was a great way to start league play and a busy first week.”

She said a balanced attack on offense was efficiently run by junior setter Conway.

Ludwig added nine kills, O’Neil had eight kills, Stry recorded five kills and Conway handed out 25 assists.

Boehm said defensive specialists MC Duggan and Stephanie Martin stepped up big to close out game two after a three-point deficit throughout the whole set.

Sacred Heart also competed at the Sweet Home Invitational Saturday, splitting games against North Tonawanda, 23-25, 26-24, Frontier, 25-16, 21-25, and losing to Williamsville South, 17-25, 26-27.

Caroline Aurricho led the Sharks against NT with four blocks and three kills along with four kills from Stry and three aces from Natalie Reesor.

Sacred Heart’s middle hitters stifled the Frontier attack with 10 total blocks, including six from Ludwig and four from Aurricho.

Outside hitters paced the Sharks attack with 11 total kills, including five from O’Neil and six from Farrell. Georgi Stoj led the team at the serving line with five aces.

Boehm said the South games were a great learning tool.

“We made too many mistakes and did not manage the game well on our side of the court,” she said.

Ludwig (three kills, three blocks), Aurricho (three kills), O’Neil and Farrell (four kills) led a balanced Sacred Heart attack.

Unable to maintain the high energy the team had in pool play, the Sharks finished the day losing against Chautauqua Lake, 19-30, in the first round of the silver bracket.

The Sharks played at Immaculata Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They host Niagara Catholic at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.  

Amherst boys volleyball beats Holland, earns season’s first win 
Amherst Bee 
September 19, 2012

The Amherst boys volleyball team (1-4, 1-1) shook off a 23-25 loss in game one at Holland to post a 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 18-25, 25-23 victory Wednesday.

“It was an awesome match,” Amherst coach Peter Wlosinski said. “It was great to get our first win of the season, as well as our first divisional win.”

Wlosinski was worried after losing the first game by two that the team wouldn’t show up for the rest of the match, but he said they had good control of games two and three, game four brought out a lot of errors on their part and they reset for game five and pulled out their first win.

“I stressed that a win isn’t given and has to be earned,” Wlosinski said. “Our seniors understood this and led us to the victory.”

Senior Alex Turecki led the Tigers with 13 kills. Gabe Radoccia Feuerstein, another senior, had 32 assists and four aces.

Evan Hall, a first-year junior, led the team with five blocks and added eight kills at middle blocker.

Another first-year junior, Myron Harvey, contributed nine kills from the right side.

Despite the win, Wlosinski was disappointed that his players missed 20 serves throughout the match.

Amherst’s two other matches last week resulted in losses. They traveled to Eden Monday, Sept. 10 and lost, 23-25, 14-25, 12-25, and then dropped a non-league home match to Williamsville North Friday, 15-25, 21-25, 24-26.

Wlosinski was happy to see a more efficient all-around play from the team against North. 

“Our offense had more opportunities to be utilized, which was lacking this week,” he said. “We gained a sense of what our team is all about, as I heard them encouraging each other.”

Turecki led the Tigers with eight kills as both a middle blocker and outside hitter. Radoccia Feuerstein recorded 14 assists.

Wlosinski also liked the crowd support.

“I think our fans helped build the excitement with cheers and signs on a Friday night,” he said. “It was great to see the support from the community.”

Wlosinski said his team trailed by five points twice and came back both times in the first game against Eden, but they could not pull together a win and it carried over to games two and three. 

“Eden brought a tough serve that we struggled to pass and establish our offense,” Wlosinski said. “We were out of our system and continuously sent over free balls, which Eden used effectively.”

Amherst hosted Maryvale Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They play at Depew at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.  

Sweet Home finishes third at own tourney 
Girls volleyball 
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee 
September 19, 2012

The Sweet Home girls volleyball team placed third at the Sweet Home Invitational Saturday, its highest finish in at least seven years.

The Lady Panthers went undefeated in pool play, beating City Honors, Kenmore West and Clarence, beat Clarence, 30-16 in quarterfinals and lost to Lancaster in the semifinals, 25-13, 23-25, 15-11.

“Against Lancaster, we came out a little tentative,” Sweet Home coach Breean Martin said. “Our serve-receive was struggling a little bit but we turned it on in the next game and fell a little short in the third game. We really went toe to toe with them. I was proud of my kids.”

Lancaster lost to Orchard Park in the final.

Sweet Home junior outside hitter Jenna Reeser was named to the All-Tournament Team.

“She is a momentum builder for us,” Martin said. “When she gets her kills our team shines. It’s so fast and powerful. Against Lancaster, she terminated without anyone touching the ball.”

Other players that Trapasso lauded against Lancaster were senior outside hitter Lydia Penberthy — got winning kill in second game — the serving and offense from senior right side hitter Jess Padley, the blocking of sophomore middle hitter Emma Hubert, the blocking and aggressive play of freshman middle hitter Rachel Reusch, as well as the play of freshman setter Claire Hiwiller.

Sweet Home is 3-0 in ECIC II, beating Lake Shore and Starpoint in four games and West Seneca East in three games. Reeser has averaged double-digit digs and kills in every match and Penberthy has served double-digit aces.

Sweet Home hosted Iroquois Monday and traveled to Kenmore West Tuesday, but information about the matches were unavailable before The Bee went to press. They travel to Williamsville South at 4:30 p.m. Friday. and compete in the Frontier Tournament Saturday. 

Williamsville South 

In the preseason, Lady Billies coach Tom Sproull said his team can beat anybody on any given day, and South almost lived up that billing at the Sweet Home Invitational.

The Lady Billies hung with eventual tournament champion Orchard Park in the quarterfinals before losing, 30-21. South led OP at one point in the match, 15-10.

The Lady Billies advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Sacred Heart twice in pool play. Their other pool play games resulted in two losses to Frontier and a split with North Tonawanda.

Coach Tom Sproull lauded the consistent play throughout the tournament of senior left outside hitter Rebecca Postek and sophomore right side hitter Jess Miller.

“Both served really well,” Sproull said. “Rebecca had the most aces for us and Jessica had the most kills.”

South is 2-2 through four league matches, losing to Starpoint, 22-25, 20-25, 18-25, at home Sept. 5, winning at Iroquois, 25-15, 25-22, 25-21, Sept. 7, falling to Williamsville East, 20-25, 15-25, 21-25, and winning at Lake Shore, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21, Friday.

Miller led South in kills against Starpoint (nine) and Lake Shore (five) and added five kills and four blocks against East.

Postek led the Lady Billies against East with six kills and added seven kills versus Starpoint. She added five kills and five aces against Lake Shore.

Junior Angela Collins led South’s offense against Iroquois with 11 kills.

Sophomore setter Kim Dunkelman has led the team in assists in each game, recording 20 against Starpoint, 21 versus Iroquois, 17 against East and nine versus Lake Shore. She also had five kills and four blocks against East.

Sproull lauded Dunkelman’s consistent play as well as the play of junior libero Meaghan Miller.

South also competed at the Cheektowaga Tournament Sept. 8. The Lady Billies did not get out of pool play because the top two teams ahead of them, Lewiston Porter and West Seneca West, scored more total points. Miller was named to the All-Tournament Team.

South has a huge week, which began at home against West Seneca East Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They also host Lake Shore at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Sweet Home at 5 p.m. Friday.

“This week will say a lot about us,” Sproull said. “We could potentially go 3-0 or 0-3.”  

Sheffield's comeback an example of unquestioned determination
By Rodney McKissic
The Buffalo News Sports Reporter
9/18/12

The scar that begins at the nape of Dakota Sheffield's neck and ends near his lower back is nicknamed "The Question Mark,'' which is apt considering its shape and the uncertainties that followed. 

The wound is the result of an 80-foot plunge off a cliff, a fall so horrible doctors feared Sheffield would never walk again let alone play volleyball, his primary sport at Eden High School. A little more than a year later, Sheffield is jumping around like a burst of energy, setting up teammates as a key cog on the powerhouse Eden boys volleyball team. 

"I wanted to show people that a little 80-foot cliff ain't gonna stop me from doing the sport I love,'' Sheffield said. 

Sheffield's return could lead the Raiders to a 30th sectional championship, something that didn't seem possible after his accident on June 13, 2011. 

Sheffield and his friend, Jake Ehrig, were fishing near Belnap Road in Eden, when the ground caved in around him as he was walking. Ehrig reacted quickly and probably saved Sheffield's life. 

"My buddy grabbed me from behind because I was falling face first,'' Sheffield said. "He tried hanging onto to me but his wrist broke, and he let go of me and I fell straight down.'' 

Sheffield landed on his tailbone, and while he didn't lose consciousness he couldn't move. He fractured several bones, including his T5 vertebrae, which was crushed into his spinal cord causing temporary paralysis. He had staples placed in his stomach and internal bleeding caused by damage to his spleen which was eventually removed. Sheffield also underwent surgeries on his back and elbow. 

Sheffield's stay at ECMC lasted nearly two months - 11 days in the ICU and another 40 under doctor's care. Slowly, he regained movement in his legs but doctors weren't optimistic about his long term recovery. 

"The doctors told my parents I might not be able to walk again,'' Sheffield said. "I proved them wrong by walking out of the hospital on the last day.'' 

But Sheffield was not only forced to miss his junior season of volleyball, he couldn't compete in bowling or baseball, either, while undergoing rehabilitation. 

"I did a lot to try and overcome this horrible, horrible accident,'' he said. "I had to learn to walk again one step at a time. I wanted to play, but I couldn't because I had to let me body heal.'' 

The test came over the summer when Sheffield played beach volleyball and declared himself fit to play for Eden. 

"I wanted to play for my town," he said. "Sure enough I came out and I'm trying to help out all the kids who are on varsity, trying to step up as a leader and I want to win. That's my goal, to win. . I came back because I love the sport, I love my teammates and I came to win. I didn't think I'd ever be able to play the sport again, ever. I thank God that I was able to play the sport." 

No one was more surprised, and grateful, than Eden coach Robert Pierce, who values Sheffield's leadership. 

"I did not expect him to play ever again for me," Pierce said. "He's a funny kid, he's quirky, and I think one of his gifts as an athlete is he doesn't have a long memory and if he makes a mistake he says, 'I'm just going to go out and try again.' This kid was thrown a serious curve ball but he just went out and said, 'I'm going to do what I have to do.' " 

And here he is, the smallest member on the team running around like a near tragedy never happened. This time last year he was in a wheelchair, trying to learn to walk again. 

"A lot of kids maybe would have cast blame and not work hard to come back from something like that," Pierce said. "But he said, 'Life's rough and I'm going to overcome it and I'm going to get back and compete.' Determination is his gift and he's really determined to make the most of his senior year." 

email: rmckissic@buffnews.com

Boys volleyball outlook: Jepson's attitude over injury is no accident 
By Mary Jo Monnin
The Buffalo News Sports Reporter
9/17/2012

David Jepson of Canisius High went through a gamut of emotions after breaking his leg this offseason playing volleyball, but self-pity wasn't one of them. 

On the same weekend Jepson snapped both bones in his leg after his momentum carried him into a volleyball standard, another young volleyball star, Peter Brady of Orchard Park, suffered a life-altering accident. Brady broke his neck and suffered a spine injury after he dove into the shallow end of a friend's pool. He's been at ECMC ever since, paralyzed from the chest down. 

"There are more serious things that have happened to people," said Jepson. "Like I know that same weekend Pete Brady had an unfortunate injury with his spine, and I knew mine wasn't that bad, so that helped me at least fight back." 

Jepson was competing at the East Coast Championships in Richmond, Va. when he broke his tibia and fibula. He had a rod surgically implanted into his leg and was told he would be sidelined for six months. "My leg got caught under the net system. I was on the ground yelling for 30 minutes before the ambulance got there," he said. 

Jepson's projected return by his doctors would have forced him to miss his senior year with Canisius, but he proved a quick healer. After a summer of rehab and workouts he was back in the lineup for the Crusaders' season opener Sept. 1 at the Clarence Tournament. He worked his way in, just playing in the back row. Canisius went on to win the title of the 16-team event. 

"I'm happy I was able to stick with it because a lot of times I was really frustrated," he said. "I tried to keep working because I still wanted to play again. The toughest part is mostly knowing what you could do before and then trying to do it now and not being able to and watching other people being able to move." 

Jepson is the reigning Player of the Year in the Monsignor Martin Association. He has designs on leading the Crusaders (21-4 last year) to their 13th Catholic playoff title in a row. 

Canisius is a young team in terms of experience. Senior Alec Cowe is an outside hitter, who was second team All-Catholic. He's a good passer, defender and a crafty hitter. Junior Brian Costello has taken over as setter for the graduated Jack Fleming. The libero is senior Taylor Johnson. Mike Taboni and Zach Schurr return from last year. Sophomore Trever Gooch has worked his way into the starting rotation as one of the outside hitters. 

"All those guys have had a really good preseason, and we're just trying to figure out some lineups that are going to work right now," said coach Tom Weislo. "We're on track so far to where we want to be this early in the season." 

Jepson had 13 kills in Monday's win over Cardinal O'Hara. The Crusaders improve to 9-2 with Iroquois on tap today. Over the weekend Canisius played strong in reaching the finals of the Victor Tournament. 

Brady has long road to recovery 

Brady's mother, Jane, asked on Sunday night that whatever was written about her son's condition, "don't make it be a downer. His spirits are still good. He's an inspirational kid." 

At the time of the accident, Brady was home for the summer after spending his freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh. 

He spent the first month after his accident in the intensive care trauma unit at ECMC. Around the end of June he was moved into an acute care unit. Jane said the family is looking into moving him into an out-of-state rehab facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries. 

Brady remains close to the local volleyball community. As a high school senior he earned first team All-Western New York honors for the Quakers and was a longtime member of the Eden Volleyball Club. He turned 20 on Monday. 

Jane said her son still doesn't have a lot of movement, but he's showing signs of improving. 

"ECMC is like this jewel. The people there are caring, talented and devoted," said Jane. "I don't have anything but great things to say." 

A website has been set up for Brady: www.caringbridge.org/visit/peterbrady.

David Jepson (Canisius)

Defending champions 
Class A: Frontier. 
Class B: Lake Shore. 
Monsignor Martin: Canisius. 
ECIC I: Frontier (12-0) 
ECIC II: Lake Shore (12-0) 
ECIC III: Eden (12-0). 
Niagara Frontier League: Grand Island and Lockport (11-1).

Frontier looks to fill the spots left after five starters graduated. Jake Gleason, an ECIC I all-star libero as a freshman, moves to setter. Senior outside hitter Spence Avery and middle hitter Derek Hosken are captains. Juniors Jeff Taylor and Dylan Durni, the younger brothers of former Falcon standouts, improved their games in the offseason through club. Junior middle Erik Hatten got his season off to an impressive start earning all-tournament at Clarence. Junior Peter Lotocki checks in as libero. The Falcons look for quality minutes from seniors Shawn Fischer, David Piniewski and junior Patrick Quinlivan. 

Lake Shore won a real confidence-builder match, beating Frontier in three straight to start the season. The match featured long rallies and close games. "They're always a top team, this was kind of a good gauge of where we sit, and I'm glad we came out on top," said Eagles coach John Cordier. 

Senior Billy Pinter is a returning All-WNY first teamer at setter. Pinter, along with middle hitter Ryan Joslyn and outside hitter Connor Govenettio are three-year members of the varsity. Joslyn was second team All-WNY. 

At the Clarence Tournament, Lake Shore lost in the semifinals Canisius. They made a good showing at the Eden Tournament, falling to McQuaid of Section V in the quarters. 

Look for Eden to be playing its best volleyball at the end of the season. Coach Robert Pierce said junior Jake Schlegel and senior Dakota Sheffield are good athletes who are looking to become more savvy and increase their volleyball IQ. 

"I expect when they get going, we're going to be fine," said Pierce. "I think it's a very even year. In the A's and B's there are about five teams that are all going to be there. The overall level isn't as high where we want it to be collectively, but it's time for some of the younger guys to set up in and we'll see how it goes." 

Senior Ryan Vondell is a returning ECIC III all-star, freshman Declan Pierce is an explosive player who was chosen to the USA Select A-1 Team. Six-foot-4 sophomore middle Hadyn Herc made the USA Select continual team. 

NFL co-champ Lockport returns a pair of two-year starters, junior setter Jack Whalen and junior libero Eamno Yates. The Lions graduated seven and brings back a young roster with 10 juniors and two sophomores. 

Around the ECIC 

It's a small, yet talented, group at Orchard Park. The Quakers look to reclaim the Section VI Class A title after losing in the final the last two years. 

Senior libero Trey Cimorelli is a returning first team All-WNY pick and the school record holder in digs. The Quakers returns a pair of first team ECIC I all-stars, outside hitters Kevin Donohue and Tyler Eagleton, both seniors. Cimorelli, Donohue and Eagleton are tri-captains and the team's most experienced players. 

OP's first-year setter is junior Nolan McArdle. Senior Kenny Dudkowski is back for his second year and senior Joel Ross has been a quick study in his first year on the varsity. 

A lot of coaches expect Clarence to have a big year. 

Senior Chase Squires played with the Eden Volleyball Club 18s. Senior Devon Goeller gives the Red Devils a strong middle attack. Junior Brandon Hill can swing out of the right or left side. 

"We have a lot of potential," said coach Kevin Starr. "The juniors were the top JV team in WNY for the past two years. We're hoping their success transfers to the varsity level." 

Senior Calvin Crosby of Starpoint brings a polished game after an offseason in the Eden Volleyball Club's elite program. Junior Brett Kane will run the Spartans' new 5-1 offense. Eighth-grader Charles Palka begins his second year as a starter. 

Lancaster senior Connor Nowak is an accomplished club player while Mike Spengler is a returning standout setter. 

The Redskins will start a pair of freshman outside hitters, Jay Baumann and Ken Rudz. 

West Seneca West will count heavily on senior Shaun O'Brien, an ECIC I second team all-star, four-year starter and last year's leading scorer. 

Junior Anthony Podgorzak of Williamsville South earned second team ECIC II honors as one of the team's leading scorers from last year. 

Cheektowaga's most experienced player is Ed Kerber, an ECIC III all-star and a three-year starter. Junior Noah McGhee has been on the varsity for two years. 

Senior Kyle Krzemien was last year's leading scorer at Depew and junior Denis Vanini enters his third year as starting setter. 

Six players return for Amherst, including 6-6 senior Alex Turecki, a second-team all-star who led the team in blocks and senior Gabe Radoccia-Feurstein, last year's leader in digs. 

Maryvale juniors Kevin Kelly, Ryan Robida and Tyler Nosal were also teammates this offseason for the Southtowns Volleyball Club. Andy Murtha is the first-year coach of the Flyers. 

Senior David Tharnish returns at middle blocker for Iroquois. 

The only returning senior for Lancaster is right-side hitter Connor Nowak. 

Hamburg coach Brian Carroll describes 6-5 middle blocker Connor Krolikowski as a "very complete player and solid blocker." 

Another senior, Tony Guzzetta, is a two-year starter at libero, who is just as capable at setter for the Bulldogs. 

First-year East Aurora coach Carl Cordes said he has a full range of players from freshmen to seniors with great chemistry. Junior Harry Hintz is a strong hitter from all positions and Dan Leman is a crisp passer with a strong count awareness. 

Holland senior Storm Phillips is a three-year starter who can play a variety of positions. 

Around the nets 

. St. Francis has a young but athletic team. Senior co-captain Alex Warthling is a three-year starter at libero. Senior co-captain Taylor Walber and junior Tom Duszkiewicz bring two years experience at the net. Two freshman who will see plenty of minutes are Jake Kaempf and Nick Batchev. 

. Kenmore West returns 6-foot-5 middle Mitch Roberts. On the outside are fellow seniors Nick Gara and Chris Dymond. 

email: mmonnin@buffnews.com

Cheektowaga Tournament 
Boys
9/15/12

FINALS Grand Island 25-22-25, St. Francis 21-25-23 SEMIFINALS St. Francis 25-25, Iroquois 15-21 Grand Island 25-25, Cardinal O'Hara 12-15 POOL A Cheektowaga 25-17, Kenmore West 22-25 Cardinal O'Hara 25-21, Iroquois 21-25 Cheektowaga 25-21, Iroquois 23-25 Cardinal O'Hara 25-25, Kenmore West 20-8 Cardinal O'Hara 25-25, Cheektowaga 18-20 Kenmore West 18-25, Iroquois 25-18 POOL B Kenmore East 25-24, Maryvale 21-26 St. Francis 25-25, Grand Island 18-21 Kenmore East 25-16, St. Francis 21-25 Grand Island 25-25, Maryvale 21-18 St. Francis 25-25, Maryvale 17-14 Kenmore East 22-25, Grand Island 25-17

Individual: No all tourney team 716-984-3812 John Markeson Grand Island outlasted St. Francis in three close games, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 to win the title of the Cheektowaga boys volleyball tournament.

High School Boys Volleyball Preview: Lake Shore Eagles still team to beat in Division II
Michael J. Petro
9/13/12
 

Billy Pinter and Lake Shore will once again look to get through teams 
like Hamburg in Section VI Division II. (Photo courtesy of Ron Larson)

It took 16 years for Lake Shore to return a Section VI championship to the high school in the Town of Evans but can the Eagles stay on top in a loaded Division II?

In returning three starters and a few key role players from last season, Lake Shore looks like it could have what it takes. However, only two returning players are back in the same position as head coach John Coyle has done some shifting around to piece together the most competitive lineup possible.

While many of them were adjusting to their new spots on the court, the Eagles remained just about as impressive as they were last season in opening the season as semifinalist in the Clarence Tournament among a competitive Section VI field on Sept. 1.

“That was one of our best showings at that tournament in years,” said Coyle, whose team captured the Division II championship last year by beating Hamburg in an epic five-game match. “As the kids go along in the season, I see them improving. We’re a little ahead of where we originally wanted to be, so I hope we can build on that.”

Although the Eagles return with some swagger from last season, Coyle believes his players are focused on what needs to be done this year to have 2011 repeat itself. He likes his players’ level of self-motivation.

“I have high expectations for them because a lot of these guys are third-year varsity players, but I think they have just as high expectations for themselves,” said Coyle, last year’s Western New York Coach of the Year. “I don’t have to push hard. They like working at their games and don’t like to make mistakes.”

The high expectations come from the return of three-year varsity contributors Ryan Joslyn, Billy Pinter and Connor Govenettio. While Pinter will remain at setter, where he has become one of the best in Western New York, and Govennettio will be back on the outside, the hard-hitting Joslyn will move to the middle from the outside. Pinter was a First Team All-WNY selection and Joslyn, a second team honoree.

After seeing considerable time last year as a defensive specialist, fellow senior Clark Brueckl moves to a starting middle. Upperclassmen Dane Cala and Tyler Freeman will play on the outside. Both are normally liberos. Cala is in his second season with the varsity, while Freeman returns after missing much of last season with an injury.

Also expected to contribute this season are junior Brad Owens at libero and senior Cody Pulewski, a setter, who is working his way back from a broken wrist. The Eagles will count on its defense, passing and the continuity from a strong senior class of seven in hopes that it makes up for their lack of size. Joslyn is 6-foot-4, but the rest of the team is 6-foot-1 or smaller.

Ben Michaels (right) is returning for Section VI Division II 
finalists Hamburg. (photo courtesy of Ron Larson)
 

Although Hamburg has moved up to ECIC I for the regular season, Lake Shore, the defending ECIC II champion, will have to deal with its rival come the postseason in Division II. On their way to an unbeaten division run last season, Lake Shore beat Hamburg twice but like in the sectional final, it was in five hard-fought games.

“Hamburg is well coached and seems to have size every year,” noted Coyle, whose team split with Hamburg in two games at Clarence.

Due to state classification numbers, Division II will again have the majority of the teams from Section VI. Twenty schools reside in Division II, while there are eight in D-I.

Last season, Hamburg again competed among the best in Division II but ended in heartbreaking fashion, holding a late lead in the final only to see it wither away. Hamburg head coach Bran Carroll expects his young team to regroup and with the type of work ethic it has shown so far, once again be a factor at season’s end.

“We have a good team that competes daily in practice and this will be a great benefit for this group of players down the road,” Carroll said.

Leading this group will be two-year starter Connor Krolikowski, a versatile 6-foot-4 senior, who Carroll said can play all three front row positions “He’s one of the most well-rounded players in WNY,” noted Carroll of his left-side hitter.

Senior Tony Guzzetta moves to the setter position after playing libero the last two years. In the middle will be much of that size Coyle spoke of with 6-foot-4 senior Ben Michaels and a pair of 6-foot-3 sophomores in Doug Horbachewski and Zach Yerington. Joining Krolikowski on the left side will be Patrick Stroh, a smooth passing and high jumping 6-foot-3 sophomore. Also seeing time on the outside will be Trevor Vail and David Suchan. Kody Omphalius should get an opportunity at right side, while Ryan Dils is competing for playing time at setter as only a freshman.

The Bulldogs are rounded out by Mitch Courtney, Kevin Eisenried, Ryan Filas, Chris Fuentes, Charlie Gordner, Mike Liberatore, John-Francis Orozco and Nick Yonkosky, all of whom will compete for the defensive specialist position. 

Sophomore Jake Gleason is defending Section VI 
champion Frontier’s only returning starter.

Hamburg will join in ECIC I the divisions’ champion and the Section VI Class A title holder the past two years, Frontier.

Despite losing four All-Western New York players, two of whom are now playing Division I college volleyball, and a fifth starter to graduation, Frontier head coach Bill Faust does not concede that his team is rebuilding. He doesn’t believe in using that term. “That’s an excuse to write off your team’s season,” he noted. 

His team has already been competitive in starting the season at tournaments in Clarence and Eden. While the two-time defending champions lost at Clarence in the semifinals to St. Joe’s, which would then drop the final to Canisius, getting that far says a lot about the players who have been waiting in the wings. Although replacing setter Matt Taylor, outside hitters Drew Durni (Hawaii) and Nick Smalter (IPFW) and inside Tom Scheck is no easy task, this underclassman-driven team is taking the first steps to doing so.

Third-year sophomore starter Jake Gleason will switch from libero to setter, while senior captains Spencer Avery and Derek Hosken move into larger roles on the outside and in the middle, respectively. Faust will also look to a pair of younger brothers of the recent graduates in juniors Jeffrey Taylor at opposite and Dylan Durni at outside hitter. Junior middle Erik Hatten also steps into the starting lineup and has already garnered all-tournament honors in Clarence. Seniors Shawn Fischer and David Piniewski and junior Patrick Quinlivan will look to compete for playing time.

“The team has completely transformed from last year,” said Faust, who believes WNY boys volleyball is wide open this season, but Orchard Park remains the early favorite in Division I. “We’ll be filling some big shoes. They’re going to need a strong work ethic, but they really seem eager to learn.”

A competitive Division II field is only strengthened by Eden, which almost every year has a say in the postseason. Eden, which has won a sectional title 27 out of the last 35 seasons, surprisingly exited from last season’s playoffs in the quarterfinal round. 

The team that looks to bounce back is young but in typical Raiders’ fashion also a hungry one that seems to be getting better even into just the first few weeks of the season. Mixing in with two senior starters this year will be four sophomores and a freshman. 

“The teams we’ve run into right now are a little bigger and older but I like where we’re going,” said Eden head coach Robert Pierce, who noted that his team was impressive at times opening the season in the Clarence Tournament, before going toe-to-toe with McQuaid in the quarterfinals of the Eden Pan-Am Tournament on Sept. 8. 

Though Pierce points to the sophomores and freshmen as the players that will do the damage for Eden down the road, he’s got two inspirational senior leaders for them to learn from. Ryan Vondell returns to his starting spot as a middle, while Dakota Sheffield, who couldn’t even walk at one point last year after falling off a cliff in an accident, has worked his way into the setter spot.

At 6-foot-2 and a wrestler, Vondell will give the team some size and provide much of the strength. Pierce also said Vondell is a positive role model who is accepting of all of his teammates regardless of age. Sheffield, who missed most of the last school year, is a story all on his own. An aggressive attitude has helped Sheffield first get back on his feet and then on to the court.

“I can’t even believe that he’s able to play after what happened to him and he’s doing it at a high level,” Pierce said. “What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in his competitiveness.”

Hayden Herc, a 6-foot-4 sophomore middle, is turning into the real deal after playing for the national team in Des Moines, Iowa in the offseason. Also returning to a starting role is freshman Declan Pierce, the son of the coach who’s also emerging as a force in Western New York. 

Joining Pierce on the outside will be hard-hitting sophomore Brad Meyer, The elder Pierce also expects contributions from feisty sophomore Cole Overhoff and Jake Shlegel, who will compete for time at setter. Senior Jimmy Ehrig is also expected to see some time in the middle. The team is rounded out by juniors Ryan Gajewski and exchange student Jacob Maritti.

“Once we get into the league season, we’ll contend and we should be in the mix during the postseason,” said Pierce, whose team plays in ECIC III. “What I see from us in progression is a really good sign.” 

It may have only been winning a game off Canisius, but that feat at the Clarence Tournament tells the tale of how far St. Francis has come as a program, even as it fields another team that will depend on the contributions of youngsters.

The Red Raiders split two games in tournament pool play with the team that has ruled the Monsignor Martin for the past 12 seasons. It’s the same Canisius program that St. Francis head coach Andy Lanigan has watched beat his team in the MMAA final last season and in 2008. Lanigan believes it may have been an early-season defining moment for his team, which finished the tournament as a quarterfinalists.

“It’s a real confidence boost,” said Lanigan, whose team went on to sweep East Aurora in its first non-league match. “A win over Canisius is the first time that’s happened in many years. It opened their eyes and made them believe that we can play with anybody.”

The Red Raiders return three regulars from last year’s rotation in senior Taylor Walber and Alex Warthling and junior Tom Duskiewicz. Walber will take over the offensive load on the outside for graduated Brett Cawthorn, which is now playing at D’Youville, while Duskiewicz, a Southtowns Volleyball Club player, who enjoyed a breakout season last year, will secure the middle. Warthling, a three-year captain with the most experience on this team, will take on the role of libero. 

Junior Jack Moretti will be slotted into the setter spot, while freshmen Nick Bachev and Jake Kaempf will be asked to step right in as a middle and defensive specialist, respectively.

While this team may not be as skilled as last seasons, Lanigan sees in this group a will to win and more attention to detail. 

“There is more of a team atmosphere,” Lanigan said. “We’re playing better team defense and making more hustle plays. They realize that they can’t rely on big guy as individuals. They’ll have to rely on each other.”

The league does not make it any easier on St. Francis. Already with Canisius to face, St. Joe’s is also loaded with talent. The two are the top ranked teams in WNY. The Red Raiders are ranked eighth. “It makes things a little tougher but theses guys already know that things don’t come easy for us,” Lanigan said.

Among home matches of note are against Frontier on Friday, Sept. 14, St. Joe’s on Sept. 20 during Homecoming, and Canisius on Oct. 2, which will be St. Francis’ annual Blackout Night, when fans are asked to root on their home team by wearing all black. Also, St. Francis will host the MMAA championship match on Nov. 2.

Olympian returns home before next venture
by KIMBERLY MCDOWELL 
Editor
9/13/12

Olympian Matt Anderson, a member of the U.S. 
men’s national volleyball team, chats with his 
sisters at Flattery’s bar last week during his visit 
home in West Seneca following the London 2012 
Games. From left are Joelle Vanegas, Jennifer and Amy. 

If professional volleyball wasn’t in the cards for Matt Anderson, he very well could have graduated with a degree in kinesiology and been teaching somewhere in Western New York.

But the hand he was dealt exceeded his dreams.

“Anyone who tells you they knew they’d make it to the Olympics is a liar,” Anderson said Tuesday at home in West Seneca. He arrived Sept. 4 to visit family and friends and, pending the approval of a visa, could leave at any moment for Russia, where he will play for the 2012-13 season — about seven months in total.

At 25, Anderson is coming off his high as a standout member of the U.S. men’s national volleyball team during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The team lost to Italy in the quarterfinals.

“Of course I wanted to win,” he said with a quiet and disappointed tone, further admitting that he has no interest in watching the games. “I was there.”

He may not have brought the gold medal home this summer, but he did say there’s plenty to be proud of and more to work at before Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“At least I think I’m going to be there,” he said with a smile, adding that his mother, Nancy, is talking about it more than he is. “I keep telling her to relax, it’s still four years away ... I get more pressure from her than anyone.”

In the photograph at right, Anderson 
stands tall with one of his supporters, 
Ryan Dils, a freshman at Hamburg High School.

Anderson, at 6 feet 10 inches, has played with and against some of the most renowned volleyball players in the world during the last few years, earning the praise of seasoned veterans and officiators. He opted to forgo his senior year at Penn State University in 2009 upon signing a contract to play professionally in Korea. He earned several accolades before playing with Italy for the 2010-11 season.

His interest in the sport was piqued while watching his oldest sister, Joelle, play in her youth — he’s the youngest of five. He grew up playing soccer and baseball, and then decided to try out for the volleyball team at the suggestion of a friend. He eventually became a star player at West Seneca West Senior High School, leading the team his senior year to a perfect divisional record in 2004-05.

Anderson’s path to Penn State began with a scholarship. He took notice of his own development his junior year, which he said is when he began to seriously entertain the idea of turning pro.

“It was a month-and-a-half debating process for me,” he said. When his initial opportunity to play for Japan fell through, another door opened for Korea, where he trained extensively and played “some of the best volleyball” of his life, he said.

Though Anderson relishes the opportunity to come home and relax — he has gotten the opportunity to do so only about 14 days each year for the last three years — he said staying on the road is easier than always saying goodbye.

“I don’t get much time,” he said on his recent trip home. “It sucks. I want to make sure I can give one last hug and see everybody.”

This time, though, he’s making his visit count. In addition to a meet and greet last week at Flattery’s where he met several of his biggest supporters, Anderson raised $500 at an event that will be used to purchase iPads for the approximately eight students in his nephew’s classroom at West Elementary School. Each child, his nephew included, has been diagnosed with autism.

Something else he could check off his list was getting a tattoo on his back of the Tower Bridge in London with the Olympic rings, symbolic of one of his greatest accomplishments.

“The fact that I can say, ‘I’m an Olympian’” — he looked away in a brief moment of disbelief — “I’m just a kid from West Seneca who was lucky enough to get breaks and have support when other people don’t get that.”

The new tattoo isn’t his first, and, arguably, isn’t as important as the one across the right side of his torso — a permanent marking that pays homage to his late father, Mike, who died of cancer two years ago. He was one of Anderson’s biggest supporters and, above all else, a best friend.

Another accomplishment?

“Being able to say that I’m still happy with what I do.” 

email: kmcdowell@beenews.com 
 

Medaille College - 2012 Women's Volleyball Preview 
PinterpeProductions
Wednesday September 12, 2012

Alec Pinterpe discusses the upcoming Medaille Womans volleyball season with head coach and former Eden VBC player, Jake Beiter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEKrl-qqvf0

Eden nabs volleyball win
Boys
September 12, 2012
 
It took a bit of time, but Eden found its groove against a tough Maryvale team, earning an ECIC boys volleyball win in three games, 25-22, 25-14, 25-18.

"It was pretty close in that first game," Eden coach Robert Pierce said. "We missed a lot of serves. We're trying to become a little more aggressive. We're not as big as other teams, but the more you miss serves, the more it keeps other teams in it.

"Maryvale is never an easy place to play. They always get a nice crowd with a lot of energy and they have a low ceiling. It takes some getting used to. Once we settled down we got our offense going."

Brad Meyer had eight kills and two aces while Ryan Vondell had three blocks and seven kills for Eden (2-1).

East girls volleyball wins gold at St. Mary’s tourney 
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee 
September 12, 2012

The Williamsville East girls volleyball team is playing at a high level early in the 2012 season.

The Lady Flames defeated Hamburg, 22-25, 25-17, 15-8, to win the gold final of the St. Mary’s Tournament, placing fifth overall.

“There were a lot of good teams so to take fifth at a tournament like this was a big step,” East coach Scott Wright said.

East went 4-2 in pool play, defeating Frontier and Wilson twice and losing to St. Mary’s, and then beating Frontier, 25-22, 20-25, 16-14, in the semifinals.

“It was great for our program because Frontier is one of the better girls volleyball teams around,” Wright said. “Then to beat Hamburg, who handed us both of our league losses last year, was also big.”

Erica Moser was named to the All-Tournament Team.

“She did a great job as our top attacker and on defense as one of the primary passers,” Wright said. “Her overall game was what we needed.”

Wright also lauded the play of setters Ally Rung and Natalie Berrafato and outside/right side hitter Carly Shifflet, who was second on the team in kills, and libero Dominque DiPietro.

The Lady Flames won its opening league matches against Lake Shore, 25-16, 25-17, 25-19, Wednesday and West Seneca East, 25-12, 25-18, 25-21, Friday. Moser recorded 11 kills against Lake Shore and 21 versus West Seneca East. Shifflet added nine kills against West Seneca East. 

East traveled to Williamsville South Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They travel to Hamburg at 6 p.m. Thursday and the Starpoint Tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday. 

Williamsville North 

The Lady Spartans tied for seventh at the St. Mary’s Tournament.

North went 1-5 in pool play, losing to reigning Section VI Class AA champion Orchard Park, 17-25, 19-25, Class AA state champion Penfield, 16-25, 21-25, and splitting games with Grand Island, a powerhouse in the Niagara Frontier League, 24-26, 25-16.

North beat Immaculata, 15-4, to advance to the semifinals, where they lost to Hamburg, 23-25, 25-16, 13-15, in a rematch of last year’s section final, won by North.

Emily Hopkins was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Coach Keith Hopkins lauded the hitting and serving of Haley Adams.

North opened its season with a 25-8, 25-21, 25-10 non-league home win over Lockport Wednesday and a big ECIC I victory in four games at Frontier Friday, posting a 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 victory.

The Frontier win was big because North swept them in both league matches last year. The Lady Spartans had not beaten Frontier in the previous 34 years.

“We started strong in the second game, leading 16-10, and we did not let up like we did in the first game,” North coach Keith Hopkins said. “When we had time to take control, we did it.”

Kailee Terrance recorded 23 service points, Haley Short had 17 digs and Emily Hopkins posted nine kills and seven aces.

Against Lockport, Short served for 17 points, including seven aces, Allison Corretore blocked four shots and Adams posted five kills and three blocks.

Through the first two matches, coach Hopkins has liked how his team served.

North traveled to Hamburg on Tuesday, but information about the match was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They host Lancaster at 5 p.m. Thursday. email: pnagy@beenews.com 

Volleyball coach pleased with team’s growth
Boys
September 12, 2012
 
The Amherst boys volleyball team did not win either of its opening non-league home matches, losing to Williamsville South, 25-18, 16-25, 18-25, 25-22, 21-25 Wednesday and West Seneca West, 26-28, 16-25, 25-18, 16-25, Thursday, but coach Peter Wlosinski was pleased with how the team is developing. 

“I’m very pleased with the growth that our team is already showing,” he said. “At the end of our match, West Seneca West’s head coach came to our huddle and complemented our players on their growth since seeing them only five days ago. Our team truly held their heads high because we only had one practice and one match since we last saw West Seneca West. I’m eager to see what we can accomplish as a team.”

Evan Hall led the Tigers against West Seneca West with four blocks and four kills. Christian Green added five kills and two blocks.
“Both Evan and Christian are gaining more of an understanding of their role as middle blockers,” Wlosinski said. “They are asked to block every attack and transition to attack quickly. We still need to work on the speed of our attack and I know this is within reach because they are so willing to learn the position.”

Against South, co-captain Alex Turecki led Amherst with six kills. Gabe Radoccia-Feuerstein, another co-captain, had 14 assists as the team’s setter. Wlosinski said Colton Probst contributed four digs as libero and Probst and Alex Touma added a strong serve that was difficult to pass.

Amherst began divisional play this week Monday at Eden, but information about the game was unavailable as of press time. They traveltoHollandfora5p.m.start Wednesday and host Williamsville North in a non-league match at 6 p.m. Friday.
 

Eden Tournament
at Eden 
Boys
9/8/12
 
Gold Final San Ignacio def McQuaid 25-14, 25-18 Gold Semifinals McQuaid def OP 25-12, 25-20 San Ignacio def Canisius 25-21, 25-12 Gold quarterfinals Canisius def Clarence 25-18, 25-20 San Ignacio def Fairport 25-14, 25-20 McQuaid def Lake Shore 26-24, 25-22 OP def Hamburg 25-19. 25-23 Silver Final Webster def Frontier 30-25 Silver Semis Webster def Eden 30-23 Frontier def Lancaster 30-25 Bronze Finals St. Joe’s def Victor 30-21 Bronze Semis Victor def Eastridge 30-23 St. Joe’s def St. Francis 30-15 Pool A McQuaid vs Eden 30-28, 25-15 McQuaid vs St. Francis 25-18, 25-19 McQuaid vs Clarence 25-10, 25-18 Clarence vs Eden 26-24, 25-22 Eden vs St.Francis 25-15, 25-23 Clarence vs St. Francis 25-16. 25-7 Pool B San Ignacio vs Lancaster 25-12, 25-13 San Ignacio vs OP 25-18, 25-23 San Ignacio vs Victor 25-15, 25-16 OP vs Victor 25-18, 25-20 OP vs Lancaster 25-13, 25-15 Lancaster vs Victor 25-17, 18-25 Pool C Canisius vs Frontier 25-22, 25-11 L. Shore vs Eastridge 25-18, 25-16 Canisius vs L. Shore 25-20, 25-20 Eastridge vs Frontier 16-25, 25-23 Canisius vs Eastridge 26-24, 26-12 L. Shore vs Frontier 25-23, 25-27 Pool D Hamburg vs St. Joe’s 21-25, 25-18 Hamburg vs Webster 25-19, 25-19 Hamburg vs Fairport 25-19, 21-25 Fairport vs St. Joe’s 25-16, 25-17 Fairport vs Webster 19-25, 31-29 St. Joe’s vs Webster 25-27, 18-25

Individual
All Tourney Team Trey Cimorelli (OP) Brian Costello (Can) Billy Pinter (L.Shore) Mike Taboni (Can) Connor Krolikoski (Ham) Christy Blough (McQ) Colby Harriman (McQ) Jose Irrizary (SI), John Rivera (SI) MVP Ricardo Padilla (SI) 

North Tonawanda Tournament
at North Tonawanda
Boys
9/8/12
 
Final Lockport 25-25, Grand Island 14–21 Semifinals Grand Island 20-28-25, Kenmore East 25–26–23 Lockport 25-21, St. Mary’s 10-17 Pool A O’Hara 18-25, Kenmore East 16–25 Lockport 25-19, N. Tonawanda 25–19 Kenmore East 15-20, Lockport 25-25 N. Tonawanda 25-25, O’Hara 13-20 O’Hara 18-20, Lockport 25-25 N. Tonawanda 25-25, Kenmore East 12-22 Pool B Grand Island 25-25, St. Mary’s 23-23 Kenmore West 25-25, Wmsv.East 16-17 Grand Island 25-25. Kenmore West 16-18 St. Mary’s 25-25, Wmsv East 20-8 St. Mary's 26-25, Kenmore West 24-12 Grand Island 25-25, Wmsv.East 17-20

Olympian Matt Anderson Returns Home to West Seneca
Submitted by Melissa Homes, Reporter
9/5/12

WEST SENECA, NY- He might not have brought home an Olympic medal, but Team USA Volleyball player Matt Anderson arrived home Tuesday a winner in the eyes of his fans.

Anderson is home after a breakout performance on the USA Volleyball team in London, and becoming an international heartthrob of sorts.

"To me I'm still Matt from West Seneca," he said.

Matt's humble beginnings trace back to West Seneca West High School where he led his team to a perfect 17-0 record his senior year. He also played club volleyball and went on to star at Penn State, where in his Junior year he won the 2008 NCAA championship. He then played professionally in Korea and Italy. That whole time, he didn't forget his roots.

"I wanted to play in the Olympics, but as soon as it's over I wanted to get back home and be with my family. I like the small town USA of West Seneca," said Matt.

One of his first stops in Western New York is going to get a tattoo of the Tower Bridge in London with the Olympic Rings hanging underneath it. Then Thursday at Flattery's Bar, he's having a meet and greet with all his fans. And on Friday, his family is planning a party to celebrate his achievements.

Whether it was through signs posted at businesses, watch parties at his sister's house, or fans packing local bars, Matt knew from across the pond that his hometown was behind him.

"It's a huge honor that they gave me that day, July 27th, Matt Anderson Day. Not too many people get to have that happen," he said.

His Olympic dreams came up short, losing in the quarterfinals and leaving without a medal.

"I'm not too happy with the way we finished the Olympics, so to watch the matches, especially the Italian match is not something that I really want to do," Matt continued. "I like to kind of get rid of volleyball for a couple weeks while I'm here and just kind of be with my family."

Sadly, one family member missed his Olympic journey. His father, Mike, passed away two years ago.

"He's there, so to say, and I think about him constantly. He helped me through a lot of tough situations along the way, and he'll help me through some more hopefully."

Matt feels his dad will be looking down on him as he continues to persevere and strives for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. For now, Matt will play professionally in Russia with some of the players he faced at the Olympics.

"The team that I'm going to was the best team in the world last year."

Matt is considered one of the world's best players for his age and he has advice for other young athletes, "Never think that what you're doing is enough," he said. "Play with a passion."

Panthers’ volleyball hopes for better success in ECIC I
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter
The Amherst Bee 
9/5/12

The 2012 season can only get better for the Sweet Home boys volleyball team.

The Panthers failed to win a match in ECIC I last year and earned two victories overall.

Because of student enrollment, Sweet Home moves down from ECIC I to II. Panthers head coach Rich Cicero said the team has aspirations of having a winning season.

“We have our eyes on winning the division,” Cicero said. “Physically, we have that type of team. If I can get three guys who are out there who are 6-6, put up a good block and we can play some defense around that block, I think we could be a tough team to beat.”

The Panthers are led by senior captains Robert Puchalski (6-foot-2 setter) and Chris Stonish (6-4 left side hitter).
“They are a steady presence,” Cicero said. “They’re good leaders and are focused when they are on the court. They hustle and chase balls down.”

Taylor Sutherland, a 6-6 junior middle hitter, also returns. Junior James Nix, a 6-6 first-year player, is the other starting middle.

Seniors Ricky Plesh and Joe Titenok are also in the mix to play at middle hitter.

Junior Corey Allen plays at right side hitter.

Sweet Home lost to Clarence, 16-25, 16-25, 22-25, in its opening match of the season Friday. They lost Kenmore East 16-25, 17-25, 19-25, at home Friday.

Sweet Home went 1-7 in matches at the Clarence Tournament Saturday, splitting games against Cheektowaga, 25-17, 13-25, and losing to Orchard Park, 9-25, 22-25, Clarence, 12-25, 22-25, and Lancaster, 23-30. Nix led the team in kills.

Sweet Home's James Nix (16) just misses a shot during the Panthers’ match with 
Cheektowaga at the 26th Clarence Invitational Boys Volleyball Tournament Saturday. 
The Panthers lost to Lancaster, 30-23, in the bronze division semifinal. Photo by 
Patrick McPartlandPurchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Cicero felt that the team needs to work on its passing to have success.

“Once we get the passing down, I can focus on the attack,” Cicero said. “I definitely have some kids that can rip the ball. With some more practice and experience, I think we’re going to do some good things.”

Williamsville South hopes to gel on court
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter
The Amherst Bee 
9/5/12

Williamsville South boys volleyball coach Thom Knab thinks there is plenty of talent on the team. All they need is the experience of working together.

“Individually, they have a lot of good skills,” Knab said. “It’s just getting them to gel and work together. They seem motivated to do that and understand what they need to do. I think we could surprise some people.”

The Billies — 13-8 and Class B semifinalist last year — are led by its co-captains, junior right side hitter Anthony Podgorsak and senior middle hitter Sam Scime.

Podgorsak is a three-year starter who Knab said has developed a nice jump serve, is hitting consistently and blocking well. 

Podgorzak led South last year with 516 attacks and 180 kills.

“He’s becoming a smarter player, which comes from playing three years of varsity as well as club volleyball through Eden,” Knab said.

Junior Steve Zaprowski will start at outside hitter. Knab said Zaprowski has become consistent in his passing and is developing a nice attack.

Six-foot-three sophomore Christian Graziano moves up from JV to start at middle hitter.

“He gets good height over the net on his blocks,” Knab said. “He’s going to be a defensive force. He’s developed a nice quick attack as well. I’m expecting big things from him and in the future.”

Senior Eric Oswald returns at libero.

The Billies’ main setter falls on freshman Joe Zanelotti. Knab said Zanelotti “lives and breaths volleyball” and attended Eden Club Volleyball in the offseason.

The left side hitter duties had not been determined as of press time but senior Dan Shanahan and 6-1 sophomore Ryan Nigro are in the mix. Whenever the left side player moves to the back row, junior JV call-up Kenny Stuber will set and Zanelotti will hit in the front row.

South’s “Dig Pink” match for breast cancer awareness will be against Williamsville East Friday, Sept. 27. 
 

Amherst boys volleyball features mixed bag of experience 
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter Amherst Bee
September 5, 2012