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No. 13 Vol. 13
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www.mypaperonline.com
July 18, 2017
Focus And Leadership Aims Wayne Valley Volleyball Program Into Winning Season
By Josh Lashley s is the case with most coaches heading into any given season, Jason Carcich, the head coach for the Wayne Valley High School boys’ volleyball program, didn’t know exactly what to expect once his student-athletes stepped onto the court against what was sure to be tough opposition. As it turns out, the Indians were quite prepared for all comers this spring as was demonstrated with their impressive 21-5 overall record. Wayne Valley definitely made their presence felt in the post-season as they advanced far into the NJSIAA North 1 Sectional Tournament. They defeated Don Bosco and Jefferson before losing in the semifinal round to Fair Lawn. “Having almost an entirely new team this year, all of their wins were impres-
sive to me but the one that stands out the most is our county championship win against Lakeland,’’ Carcich said. “It was the third in a row for the program and Lakeland is an incredibly tough opponent. Lakeland was the pre-season pick to win it since I had lost most of my team from last year. My guys really focused on what they needed to do in that one and I think we caught Lakeland off guard with our energy and preparedness for that match.’’ A major reason why the Indians were so good this year has a lot to do with the leadership which emanated from veterans on the team. “I had two returning starters from last year’s team,’’ Carcich said. “Matt Widovic is one of the best setters in the area and he leads the team in most categories. Being the setter he runs the offense and has a
great relationship with and understanding of every player on the team. Because of that he gets a lot of respect from the team. “Ryan Bender is an outside hitter and he was able to bring a sense of calm under pressure in the tight matches having come from a team that won the County, Conference and Sectional State title last year,” he said. “Both guys were my captains this season.’’ All of the players impressed Carcich with their improvements this spring. “I know it sounds like a cop out, but every guy on the team improved as the season progressed,’’ Carcich said. “We only play six at a time and with a whole new crew it was critical that we continue to develop every week so we could make a push in all of the tournaments. Eric Lee excelled as my libero and really grew
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into that role. Kyle DelBalso and Ryan Donohue helped to solidify the rest of my defense. “My middles, Stefan Rodic and Vinny Marrone worked very hard to keep the opposing defensive on their heels while Matt Cohen and Ryan Kurdziel worked the right side of the net. Gennaro Vittorioso was a huge add on this season as a setter. Since Gennaro was able to do his
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job well that allowed Matt Widovic to split his duties between setting and hitting this year.’’ Carcich is well aware that it’s never too early to start thinking about next season. “Next season is going to be a tough one because once again I lost just about the entire team aside from two starters,’’ Carcich said. “Although we will struggle more next season it is also Expires 09.04.17
an exciting time because we get to see what young players will be able to step up next season and fill in some of the varsity spots. “Our freshman team did very well this year and we had a lot of athletic players on the team who have really taken to the game. Very much looking forward to working with a highly motivated young group next year.’’
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