News, Updates, and More.
Player Spotlight: College Bound Players
In this edition of the Academy Volleyball Player Spotlight, we have more college-bound athletes to announce. Please see below to see all the great news!
BANE Tournament A Huge Success!
The 2018 Boys Atlantic Northeast Championships (BANE) has shaped up to be the most successful Academy Boys tournament so far this season. For the first time this year, every boys team competed in the same tournament, which added to the excitement of the weekend's festivities. See below to catch up on all of the action!
14s
The Boys 14 Red team competed in their first ever major tournament and immediately showed their potential by winning their first two matches over WLVBC and BRYC before falling to PVC Sandlot.
On the second day of the tournament, the boys defeated the EC Power in three sets (14-25, 25-21, 16-14) before dropping matches to Pace and Niagra Frontier. However, with a 3-way tie in their pool, the boys had to play two, single set matches against Niagra and EC Power. In those matches they defeated Niagra, but fell to EC Power.
From there they qualified for the Silver Playoff bracket where they fell to LVC in the first round. Overall the boys finished in the top 10 (9th out of 24 teams) - a great first way to perform in their first major tournament!
15s
The Boys 15 Red team opened the first day of pool play by going 1-2, picking up a win over RCVC. The boys were competitive all day as one of their matches (against Pace) had two sets that needed extra points to decide (10-25, 27-25, 15-17).
On the second day of the tournament, they dropped their first match of the day to CJVA, but rebounded for wins over Club SyrV and Infinity - both in straight sets. Their play earned them a spot in the Bronze Playoff Bracket, where they defeated the Capital Sliders in the semi-finals. They went on to the finals where they defeated RVC in three sets (23-25, 29-27, 15-12).
The Boys 15 White team opened the tournament with a 1-2 record, picking up a win over Sporting Albany in three sets (16-25, 25-16, 15-9). On the second day, the boys were perfect in their pool as they defeated AVVC, Sportime, and the Capital Sliders. With an overall record of 4-2, the boys qualified for the Bronze Playoff bracket. In the Bronze, the boys dropped their first-round match to Club SyrV.
16s
The Boys 16 Red team had a great tournament. During the opening day of pool play, they picked up two victories over WLVBC and Yorktowne before playing an exciting and epic match vs. LIVBC, which they dropped in three sets.
On the second day, the boys drew a very tough pool, where they dropped matches to A-10, Pace, and Arlington. However, their strong play earned them a spot in the Silver Playoff Bracket. In the Silver, the boys defeated LVC in the first round in two straight sets (25-23, 25-18) to advance to the bracket semi-finals. In the semis, the boys defeated Niagra Fronteir in three sets (21-25, 25-23, 17-15). That victory propelled them to the bracket finals where they faced Club Lehigh.
The Boys 16 Red team defeated Club Lehigh in three sets (21-25, 25-18, 15-12) to win the Silver bracket. The Boys 16 Red finished 9th out of 30 teams for their best tournament finish of the season so far. Great job!
The Boys 16 White team drew a very tough pool on the first day of the tournament. They dropped matches to two virginia teams, Coastal and RVC, before picking up a win over TVP in three sets (25-21, 14-25, 15-10). On the second day of pool play, the boys picked up wins over Blast 16 Fuel and OVC - both in straight sets before falling to RVC. The boys strong play earned them a spot in the Bronze Playoff Bracket, where they fell in the first round to LIVBC.
17 Red
The Boys 17 Red team had their best tournament so far during this club season. They opened the tournament by going undefeated on the first day as they picked up straight-set victories over Plainview and RVC before defeating Prevail in three sets (25-22, 24-26, 15-8).
On the second day of the tournament, the boys also went undefeated as they picked up wins over OVC and Club Lehigh (both in straight sets). They also defeated Niagra Fronteir in three sets to finish pool play at a perfect 6-0. The boys earned a spot in the Gold Playoff Bracket, where they defeated Prevail in straight sets (25-17, 25-15) to advance to the semi-finals.
In the semis, they defeated Coastal in straight sets (25-15, 25-21). From there they advanced to the Gold Bracket finals, where they fell to a very strong Yorktowne team in three sets (18-25, 25-21, 12-15). Overall, the boys finished 2nd out of 29 teams - an amazing job by the 17 Red!
18s
Another tournament, another very strong performance by the Boys 18 Red team. The boys opened the tournament by going 2-1 during the first day of pool play, picking up wins over NEVC and Infinity, while dropping a match to Niagra Frontier.
On the second day of the tournament, the boys went undefeated as they picked up wins over MEVBC and Sportime in straight sets, while also defeating Warren Sixpak in three sets (25-17, 23-25, 15-4). The boys qualified for the Gold Playoff Bracket, where they defeated PVC Sandlot in the first round (25-16, 25-22).
From there, the boys went on to the semi-finals, where they fell to Niagra Frontier in two incredibly tight sets (30-28, 26-24). Overall, the boys placed 3rd out of 45 teams - an incredible tournament by the 18 Red.
The Boys 18 White team also had a very solid tournament. Drawing a tough pool on the opening day, the boys dropped matches to Smash, Warren Sixpak, and Blast 18 Fire. The boys came back strong on the second day of pool play as they went 2-1, picking up wins over Coastal Gold (25-23, 21-25, 15-13) and Coastal White (25-13, 25-12), while dropping a match to RVC.
The boys qualified for the Bronze Playoff Bracket, where they defeated SOSVBC in the first round, in straight sets (25-7, 25-22). From there, the boys went on to the next round where they faced Prevail and dropped in three very close sets (27-25, 22-25, 17-15).
This was a great tournament for every Academy Boys team as every team finished in a medal bracket. We're extremely proud of the progress that all of our teams are making.
Showdown on Capitol Hill
On Presidents Day Weekend, 15 Academy girls volleyball teams headed down to our nations capital to participate in the Capitol Hill Classic - one of the largest girls tournaments on the east coast.
The tournament had plenty of action, exciting finishes, and plenty of team spirit! Read on to catch up on all of this weekends' action.
12 Red
Academy Girls Stand Together - The girls of Academy surround the court as the Girls 12 Red competes in a match. The girls thrived in the support as Academy values were on in full display.
The Girls 12 Red team opened the tournament by going 1-2 on the first day, picking up a win over MOJO (25-11,21-25,15-8). On the second day the girls were undefeated as they picked up wins over Team VB Rags, Philly Storm, and Metro VBC.
With a 4-2 overall record after two days, the girls qualified for the Bronze playoff bracket where they picked up a first round victory over MOJO Elite in straight sets (25-18,25-22). That win catapulted the girls to the Bronze finals they faced Team VB Rags. In the finals, the girls picked up a Bronze win in three sets (24-26,25-18,15-11). A great tournament for the girls!
13 Red
The Girls 13 Red had a great first day as they jumped out to a 2-1 record, picking up wins over Virginnia Fusion and DUVBC. The second day brought about much of the same success as they also went 2-1, picking up wins over MVSAVBC and Infinity. For their outstanding play, the girls qualified for the Gold playoff bracket in the Open division where they fell to Metro VBC. Overall the girls finished in 5th place in the open division!
14s
The Girls 14 Red team had a great first day by going 2-1 in their opening round of pool play. They picked up wins over Core VA Platinum and Downstate Black. The girls were just getting started as they went undefeated during the second day of pool, racking up straight set wins over MSAVBC (25-22,25-22), Delaware Juniors (25-19,25-12), and 14 National (25-18,25-12).
The girls qualified for the Gold playoff bracket in the Open division, where they fell in the first round to ECJVC. Congratulations to the girls as they finished 5th overall out of 48 teams!
The Girls 14 White, competing in the Patriot division also had a great tournament. They started by going undefeated during their opening round of pool play, picking up wins over Stars, WLVBC, and Jammers in three sets (25-20,12-25,15-12).
They girls continued on the same way during the second day of pool play as they also went undefeated, picking up wins over Ocean, SOSVBC, and Paradigm Riot. Unsurprisingly, the girls qualified for the Gold playoff bracket.
In the first round of the Gold, the girls defeated LKN Elite in three sets (25-21,22-25,12-15), before falling to a different Academy team (from North Carolina). Congratulations also goes out to the Girls 14 White team as they finished in 3rd place out of 48 teams!
15s
Playing in the 15 Open division, the Girls 15 Red team opened the tournament by going 2-1 during the first day of pool play, picking up wins over Evo 15 BLK Smack and Tribe 15 Elite. On the second day, the girls also went 2-1 as they defeated the NYC Juniors (25-21,20-25,15-7) and the Vienna Elite Vibe (25-21,20-25,15-7), while dropping a match to the "other" Academy team (from North Carolina).
The girls play qualified them for the Gold playoff bracket where they defeated the Triangle 15 Blue in three sets (23-25,25-22,17-15) before falling to the VA Juniors (25-19,25-23). Congratulations to the Girls 15 Red team as they finished in 5th place overall out of 64 teams - awesome job!
The Girls 15 White North team competed in the Patriot division and had a rough first day as they dropped their matches during the opening round of pool play. They came back strong on the second day with a record of 1-2 as they picked up a big win over United in straight sets (25-14,25-15).
During the last day of the tournament, the girls found their stride as they won their playoff bracket by defeating the LKN15 Elite in the opening round (25-19,18-25,15-12). In the finals of their playoff bracket, the girls defeated DYNAM 15 in straight sets (25-12,25-14).
Also playing in the Patriot division was the Girls 15 White South. On the first day of the tournament, the girls went 2-1 picking up wins over Allegro and Keystone after dropping the first match to Jammers. The girls ran in to a tough pool during the second day of the tournament as they dropped all of their matches. However, the strong performance during the first day was enough to qualify them for the Bronze "A" playoff bracket, where they fell to the CJVA 15 white team.
16s
The Girls 16 Red competed in the Open division and had a great first day as they went undefeated during the opening round of pool play - besting Royal Legends, 16 ICE Elite, and RVC 16 National.
On the second day of the tournament the girls went 1-3, dropping matches to Scarborough Titans and the "other" Academy team (from North Carolina), while picking up a win over Coastal Hampton Roads in straight sets (25-18,25-7). The girls qualified for the Silver "B" playoff bracket where they fell to the VA Elite, finishing a respectable 21 out of 64 teams.
Playing in the Patriot division was the Girls 16 White North. The girls had a strong first day, going 2-1 in pool play. They picked up straight sets victories over Strive (25-15,25-18) and Evo Blk Smack (25-11,25-13). The girls had a rough second day of the tournament as they dropped all three of their matches.
However, their overall record was strong enough to qualify them for the Bronze "B" playoff bracket, there the fell in three sets to the Virginia Fusion.
Also playing in the Patriot division was the Girls 16 White South. The 16 White South went 1-2 during the opening round of pool play, picking up a straight set victory over the Philly Storm (25-20,25-18). On the second day of the tournament, the girls also went 1-2, picking up a win over CEVA Black (25-23,25-13).
In the girls playoff bracket during the last day of the tournament, they picked up a win over Strive (25-17,25-22) before falling to the CP-AC 16 Nationals.
17s
The Girls 17 Red competed in the Open division at a very competitive age group for this tournament. During the first day of pool play, they went 1-3 picking up a win over Phoenix Fury in three sets (25-21,23-25,15-5). During the second day of pool play, the girls had a very strong day as they went undefeated - picking up wins over Vienna Elite, VA Elite, and CMASS,
In their playoff bracket, the girls posted an opening-round victory over Triangle 17 White in three sets (18-25,25-23,17-15). In their bracket finals, the girls also defeated the Tribe 17 Elite in straight sets (25-17,25-21).
Competing in the Patriot division was the Girls 17 White, who had a fantastic start to their tournament as they went undefeated during the first day of pool play - picking up wins over Core VA, Royal Legends, and PPVC Black.
The second day was a bit tougher as they went 1-2, with a victory over XVA Purple in three sets (31-29,23-25,15-9). The girls qualified for the Silver "B" playoff bracket where they faced CORE NJ Platinum in the first round, picking up a three set victory (25-23,22-25,15-9).
That win propelled them to the finals where they defeated the XVA Purple in straight sets (25-18,25-22) to win the Silver "B" playoff bracket. The girls finished in 9th place overall - great job!
18s
Competing in the Club division was the Girls 18 White South team. The girls started out the tournament very strong by posting a 2-1 record as they picked up wins over NC Coastal (25-14,23-25,15-4) and Metro VBC 18 South (25-16,25-14).
The girls struggled during the second day of the tournament as they dropped all of their matches on the day. However, their strong play on the first day was enough to qualify them for the Bronze "B" playoff bracket, where they picked up a three set victory over Cut Shot VBC (25-19,16-25,17-15) before falling to MVA in the finals.
Playing in the Open division, the Girls 18 Red team got off to a hot start and never looked back. During the opening round of pool play the girls went undefeated as they picked up victories over Yorktowne, Valley Juniors, and CHVBC - all in straight sets.
Continuing the momentum on the second day, the girls also went undefeated as they picked up a win over Infinity Blue (25-11,25-27,15-9), followed by straight set victories over Sporting Albany Revolution and AVVC. With six straight victories, the girls qualified for the Gold playoff bracket. In the Gold, they faced Defensa in the opening round, where they won in straight sets (25-18,25-20).
In the second round, the girls defeated RVC 18 National in straight sets (25-23,25-16). From there the girls advanced to the semi-finals where they defeated the VA Juniors in three sets (25-13,23-25,15-13).
From there the girls advanced to the tournament finals where they faced perennial powerhouse Metro VBC and fell in two sets (20-25, 25-27). Overall, the Girls 18 Red finished 2nd out of 64 teams.
Also playing in the Open division is the Girls 18 White North team - who also had an amazing tournament. The Girls 18 White North team opened the tournament by going undefeated in pool play - picking up wins over CEVA, Evolution, and Infinity - all in straight sets.
The girls continued their winning ways on the second day of the tournament as they also went undefeated picking up two straight set victories over the Valley Juniors and DRVC, followed by a three set win over Dulles (25-16,7-25,15-12).
With six straight victories, the Girls 18 White North qualified for the Gold playoff bracket. In the Gold, the girls fell to the BVC Blackout in two very, very close (could've gone either way) sets (25-27,24-26). Overall, the girls finished in 9th place out of 64 teams.
Congratulations to both the Girls 18 Red and Girls 18 White North teams for their outstanding tournament performances. Special congratulations to Mackenzie Cole, who was selected as the best receiver in the tournament, and Mikyla Rodgers, who was recognized as the best blocker in the tournament.
Player Spotlight: Kyle Shaffer
Shaffer Commits to NCAA DI, Lewis University
Kyle Shaffer, a setter on the Boys 18 Red team has committed to Lewis University.
Shaffer is a Senior at Smithtown East High School and is looking forward to the opportunity to playing on the NCAA D1 Volleyball Program.
Please join us in congratulating Kyle on his achievement and wish him luck on his continued success.
Girls GEVA & Boys FloridaFest Results are In!
The first weekend in February was an active one for the Boys and Girls teams at Academy Volleyball. Many of the girls teams competed regionally in GEVA tournaments, while the boys 16, 17, and 18 Red teams travelled to Jacksonville Florida for the 2018 FloridaFest. See below for more.
Girls GEVA Results
See below for the results of the girls GEVA Regional tournament:
12 Red - finished 3rd in their pool, won playoff bracket over Sporttime (25-22-25-18)
13 Red - finished 4th in their pool, won playoff bracket over LIVBC 15 Blue (19-25, 25-14, 15-5)
14 Red - finished 2nd in their pool, won playoff round over Princeton (25-13, 23-25, 15-4)
14 White - finished 3rd in their pool, won playoff round over Allegro National (26-24, 25-21)
15 Red - finished 2nd in their pool, won playoff round over Princeton (25-18, 25-13)
15 White North - finished 2nd in their pool
15 White South - finished 3rd in their pool, won playoff round over OCVBC (26-24, 25-23)
16 Red - finished 4th in their pool, won opening round of playoffs over Downstate Black (25-17,25-21), lost to Academy 17 Red in playoff final.
17 Red - finished 3rd in pool, won playoff bracket over Academy 16 Red (16-25,25-16,18-16)
17 White - finished 1st in their pool, won playoff round over DIGS (25-23,25-21)
Sunshine & Volleyball at the 2018 FloridaFest
February usually means more snow and cold weather, but for the boys 16, 17, and 18 Red teams, it also meant to break out the shorts for a weekend as they headed down to Jacksonville, Florida for the 2018 FloridaFest. See below for more:
16 Red
A last minute addition to the tournament placed the Boys 16 Red team in one of the most competitive pools to open the tournament with. They started out with a win over Miami United (25-14, 25-9), then dropped the next three matches to RVC, Ponce, and Infinity. They closed out the day with a play-in match win over A5 (19-25, 25-17, 15-12).
On the final day of the tournament, the boys competed in the Bronze playoff bracket where they defeated Pipeline Nike in straight sets in the first round (25-23, 26-24) before falling to High Performance St. Louis in the second round.
17 Red
The Boys 17 Red team was red hot on the first day of the tournament as they picked up 4 wins over Toreros Coastal (25-22, 25-23), RVC (25-23, 25-13), Warren Sixpak (25-15, 25-14), and Infinity (25-17, 21-25, 15-5).
Their undefeated first day of pool play earned them a spot in the Gold playoff bracket, where they fell in the opening round to Team Rockstar (California) in straight sets.
The boys finished in 5th place overall.
18 Red
The Boys 18 Red team continued their winning ways at the FloridaFest as they went 2-1 during the opening day of pool play - picking up wins over Vanguard (25-16, 25-23) and Coastal Toreros (25-14, 25-8).
On the second day of the tournament, the boys picked up a win in their play-in match over Pipeline Nike (25-18, 26-28, 15-11) to qualify for the Gold playoff bracket. In the Gold, the boys picked up a win over CVC Onslaught in the first round (25-17, 22-25, 15-13) before falling to MVP Academy in the second round (25-23, 20-25, 18-16).
The boys finished in 3rd place overall (out of 36 teams).
MAPL, Nook, and GEVA Tournament Wrap UP.
The first month of the 2018 club volleyball season is coming to a close and there were a few teams in action to wrap things up. The girls 15, 16, and 17 Red teams were down in Hampton, VA for the competitive Mid-Atlantic Power Leauge (MAPL) tournament.
Meanwhile, in Manheim, PA the Boys 14 Red team competed in thier first-ever tournament. Last, but not least, the girls 18 Red, 18 White North, and 18 White South teams were in the tri-state area, competing in GEVA tournaments.
GEVA 18s
All three 18s teams were in action in the tristate area this past weekend. The 18 White South was at the Diamond Sports Center in New Jesey, while the 18 Red and 18 White North competed at the Downstate Athletic Center.
At the Downstate Athletic Center, it was an all-Academy affair as the 18 Red team won the tournament and the 18 White North team finished second. Great job by all of our 18s!
BOYS 14 RED COMPETES IN FIRST TOURNAMENT.
The Boys 14 Red team competed in their first-ever tournament, the Nook Winterfest, in Manheim, PA this past weekend.
It was a great start to their club careers as they boys went 5-3 in pool play and qualified for the Gold playoff bracket. In the Gold bracket, the boys defeated the Trojan Volleyball Club in the first round and advanced to the finals. In the finals, the boys defeated Prevail for the tournament win!
Mid-Atlantic Power League Tournament ReCap.
The Girls 15, 16, and 17 Red teams traveled down to Hampton Roads, VA to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Power League tournament. This tournament always draws tough competition and is a good test for the Academy girls.
15 Red
The 15 Red opened the tournament by going 3-2 in pool play. After dropping a very close match to Brandywine (26-28, 21-25), the girls picked up wins over CORE and EC Power.
On the second day of pool play, the girls dropped a match to
Triangle to start the day. They qualified for the Bronze playoff bracket, where they fell to CJVA in three sets (13-25, 25-12, 15-9).
16 Red
The 16 Red started off the tournament on a hot streak as they won the first three matches they played, defeating MDJRS, Metro, and Deleware United - all in straight sets, befor dropping their last match of the day to BRYC.
On the second day of the tournament, the girls picked up a win over TCVA in straigt sets (25-15, 25-22), which set them up for the "Copper A" playoff bracket. In the Copper A, the girls defeated Coastal in the first round in straight sets (25-13, 25-20). That win advanced the girls to the finals where they defeated the Brandywine Bobcats in three sets (25-16, 18-25, 15-12).
17 Red
The 17 Red had a busy first day as they competed in five matches. They began with three straight victories, defeating Delaware, Triangle, and MDJRs before dropping a match to American. The girls had to play in a one-set challenge match to determine the following days' brackets. In that match, they fell to the MDJRs.
On the second day of the tournament, the girls went 2-0 in their next bracket as they picked up wins over the Triangle 18s and the VA Juniors. With those two victories, the girls qualified for the Copper A playoff bracket. In the Copper A bracket, the girls defeated the Triangle 17s in straight sets (25-19, 25-19). That win sent them to the Copper A finals, where they defeated the FJVC in three sets (25-23, 14-25, 15-10).
Congratulations to all three of our teams who competed in the MAPL tournament.
NEXT UP FOR ACADEMY:
Next up for Academy will find a majority of the girls teams competing in GEVA tournaments during the first weekend in February, while the boys 16, 17, and 18 Red teams will head down to Jacksonville, FL for the 2018 Boys FloridaFest.
Later on in February, the girls will be heading to Washington D.C. for the Capitol Hill Classic and the Boys will head to Harrisburg, PA for the Boys Atlantic Northeastern Championships (BANE).
Academy Volleyball: Player Spotlight
Welcome to another edtion of the Academy Volleyball Player Spotlight. In this edition we're pleased to announce that Kara Haase [link] has committed to Merrimack College and Mackenzie Cole [link] has been named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New York!
Please see below for more information on their outstanding accomplishments!
Kara Haase Commits to Merimack College
Kara Haase of Academy Volleyball's 18 White South team has committed to play volleyball at Merrimack College (NCAA D-II) next year.
Besides Academy, Kara also played at Kings Park High School and competed in the New York State Championships three times.
Twice her team finished in 3rd place, another year they finished as New York State Runner-Up.
Kara is really looking forward to playing at Merrimack next year and all of us at Academy Volleyball wish her the best of luck!
Cole Named Gatorade Player of the Year for New York State
Academy Volleyball player, Mackenzie Cole, has been named the 2017-18 New York State Gatorade Player of the Year for the sport of girls volleyball.
The Gatorade State Player of the Year award was established in 1985 to recognize the nation’s most outstanding high school student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.
This is a tremendous honor as Cole is being recognized not only for her on-court efforts, but her community service off the court. Please visit Gatorade's website to learn more about this special achievement.
Academy Teams Open Major Tournaments in Chicago and Pennsylvania
On the weekend of January 13-15, 2018, Academy Volleyball teams participated in the first "major" tournaments of this club season. This year all of the boys teams travelled to Chicago to compete in the Boys Winter Championships. The girls 18 Red team also travelled to Chicago to compete in the Girls Winter Championships, which runs concurrently to the boys tournament in the same venue - a rare opportunity to have both boys and girls teams from Academy to compete at the same time.
At the same time as those teams were in Chicago, the girls 13-18 teams were in King of Prussia, PA competing in the East Coast Power (ECP) Invitational.
With nearly all Academy teams playing this weekend, there is plenty of action to go around. See below for a quick recap of all the action.
Sweet Home Chicago
GIRLS 18 RED
The girls opened the tournament on the first day with a record of 1-2, they dropped matches to the Milwaukee Sting and ESVBC, while picking up a straight-set victory over Spiral 18s (Arizona) by a score of 25-23, 25-16. However, since Milwaukee was the only team in the pool to go undefeated and the remaining teams having an identical 1-2 record, the #2 and #3 teams (including Academy Girls 18 Red) had to play a one-set match against each other to determine the following day's pool.
In that match the Academy Girls 18 Red defeated Spiral 18s once again by a score of 25-23. On the second day of the tournament, the girls dropped matches to Metro and Rage, which placed them in the Silver bracket on the final day of the tournament. The girls dropped their first match in the Silver bracket against Michio Chicago and finished the tournament in 9th place overall.
BOYS 15s
Chicago was a big tournament for the 15s. For many of them, this is their first time competing in a tournament of this magnitude.
On their first day of the tournament, the Boys 15 Red went 1-2 dropping matches to SPVB and Serve City. They picked up a win in straight sets over the Missouri Thunder (26-24, 25-14). On the second day of the tournament, the boys finished in first place in their pool by going 3-1, picking up wins over Epic, CVC, and Chicago Ultimate, while dropping a match to WVA Nightmares. The boys closed the tournament by falling to Pipeline in their playoff bracket.
The Boys 15 White opened their tournament with a record of 1-3 during their first day of pool play, picking up a win over the Chicago Bounce in two straight sets (25-21, 25-19). However, they tied with two other teams in their bracket who also had 1-3 records. Because of this, the boys had to play two additional matches on the first day against MOJO (Florida) and Chicago Bounce, in order to determine their pool for the second day. The boys split the matches, picking up a win over MOJO.
On the second day of the tournament the boys went 2-1, picking up wins over Serve City (25-23, 25-17) and SWVBC - including an epic first set win - (30-28, 25-22). The boys dropped their playoff match on the last day of the tournament to Pipeline in three sets (17-25, 25-23, 15-7)
Great first tournament by both 15s teams!
BOYS 16s
The Boys 16 Red team found themselves in one of the toughest pools on the opening day of the tournament as they drew both 949 (from Southern California) and RVC (Virginia). The boys played them both tough, but ultimately fell in straight sets.
Boys 16 Red attends an NCAA DI match (Loyola vs. Long Beach State)
Despite closing out the day with a record of 1-2 (dropping them out of contention for the medal rounds), the boys remained focused and came back on the second day and winning all three of their matches - picking up wins over Edge, D1 Elite, and Vortex.
On the last day of the tournament, the boys continued where they left off the day before by picking up a win over Southport in straight sets (26-24, 25-22), then falling to the Milwaukee Sting in their playoff match in three sets (27-25, 15-25, 13-25).
The Boys 16 White team also drew a very tough pool on the first day of the tournament as they faced SPVB, Bay to Bay, and the Chicago Hitmen, dropping all three matches. The boys remained resilient on the second day of the tournament - where they also drew a particularly tough schedule. For the day the boys went 1-2, picking up a big win over Motion Volleyball in two sets (25-16, 26-24).
On the last day of the tournament, the boys picked up a win over the D1 Elite in three sets (25-22, 23-25, 15-8) before dropping a match to the Cyclones.
BOYS 17 RED
The Boys 17 Red team entered the Chicago tournament looking to build off the success they had last year as 16 year olds. Things started out well for the boys as they went 2-1 during the first day of pool play, picking up wins over TVP (25-13, 25-9) and Club 1 (25-18, 22-25, 16-14).
The second day of the tournament brought on a tough challenge for the boys as they went 1-2, dropping matches to AZ Fear (Arizona) and MVVC (Northern California), while earning a win over the Cincinatti Attack (25-19, 25-16).
For their play, the 17 Red earned a spot in the Silver playoff bracket, where they defeated Vanguard in the first round (25-16, 25-13), before falling to the eventual bracket winner Ocean Bay in three sets. Overall the boys finished 12th out of 47 teams - and earned their bid to the 2018 Boys Junior National Championships! Congratulations to the Boys 17 Red on a great tournament.
BOYS 18s
The Boys 18 White team opened the tournament against D1 Elite, SPVB Elite, and the AZ Fear (Arizona). The boys played great during the entire opening round, however they ultimately dropped all matches during the opening round.
The second day of the tournament the boys dropped a match to another SPVB team before picking up a win over D1 Elite in two straight sets (25-19, 25-20). Closing out the day, the boys dropped a match to LIVBC and went 1-2 on the day.
On the last day of the tournament, the boys faced the Cincinnati Attack in the opening round of their playoff bracket. The match featured a lot of action, with the Boys 18 White pulling out a three set victory (25-23, 23-25, 15-10). The boys dropped their next match in the playoff round to the WS Storm.
The Boys 18 Red team has a mix of old and new faces and together they form one of the most dominant squads in the region. This was evident as the boys swept their opening day of the tournament by winning all three matches - picking up wins over the Attack, SPVB, and MVP Academy all in straight sets! On the second day of the tournament the boys went undefeated in their pool, picking up wins over Orlando Gold (29-27, 29-31, 25-21) and Adversity Purple (25-23, 26-24, 19-25).
From there, the boys had to play in a challenge match for playoff bracket seeding. The boys while dropped their challenge match to SPVB Elite. From there the boys 18 Red earned a spot in the Silver Playoff bracket. The boys opened the playoff bracket by defeating the Milwaukee Sting in two straight sets (25-22, 25-22). They then faced Ultimate Gold, who they defeated in three sets (26-24, 18-25, 15-12).
The win over Ultimate Gold sent the boys in to the Silver bracket finals against Adversity Purple. The boys defeated Adversity Purple in straight sets (25-20, 25-15) to win the Silver bracket. The boys finished the tournament in 9th place out of 57 teams - great job!
ECP Invitational
Meanwhile, southeast of Chicago, the Academy girls where in King of Prussia, PA to compete in the ECP Invitational - a high-level tournament.
13 RED
The 13 Red had a fantastic start to their first major tournament of the season. On the first day of the tournament, the girls went 2-2 as they dropped matches to Metro and PGH Elite - and posted victories over EC Power Sky (16-25, 25-15, 15-7) and EC Power Galaxy (25-14, 25-19).
On the second day of the tournament, the girls went 1-1, picking up a win over Brandywine Backlash (25-16, 25-23). From there the girls advanced to the Gold playoff bracket where they dropped a match to the NYC Juniors. Overall the Girls 13 Red finished in 3rd place - nice work!
GIRLS 14s
The Girls 14 Red team came out strong on the first day of the tournament by jumping out to a 3-1 record, picking up wins over CJVA, PGH Elite, and EC Power. Their only loss on the day came from the Brandywine BAM. The girls carried that momentum in to the second day as they advanced to the Gold playoff bracket. They picked up a win over EC Power Iceberg (25-17, 25-23) before falling to the NYC Juniors and Metro.
The Girls 14 White team had a tough first day as they dropped matches to the NYC Juniors, EC Power Iceberg, and Metro clubs. They did pick up a nice win over AVVC (25-23, 25-12). The girls advanced to the Silver playoff bracket where they picked up another win over the AVVC club before falling to CJVA and PGH Elite.
GIRLS 15s
The Girls 15 White North team had a tough first day as they dropped their matches during pool play. On the second day, the girls rebounded with a win over AVVC in three sets (25-18, 18-25, 15-6). In their second match, the fell to the NYC Juniors. However in their playoff bracket, the girls defeated the EC Power Dynamic in straight sets (25-22, 25-17).
The Girls 15 Red team opened the ECP Invitational with a record of 3-1 during the first day of pool play. After dropping their opening match to CJVA, the girls defeated EC Power Dynamic (25-20, 25-22), Brandywine Bobcats (25-22, 23-25, 15-9) , and the NYC Juniors Blue (22-25, 25-8, 15-8). On the second day of the tournament the girls dropped two matches to two EC Power teams (True & Mystic). In their playoff bracket, they faced the PGH Elite, who they defeated in straight sets (25-19, 25-17).
GIRLS 16s
The Girls 16 White North team opened the tournament with a record of 1-3 during the first day of pool play. They picked up a nice win over CJVA in three sets (22-25, 25-23, 15-11). On the second day of the tournament, the girls earned a spot in the Bronze playoff bracket, where they defeated AVVC in straight sets in the first round (25-20, 25-15). From there the girls advanced to the finals, where they defeated DIGS in straight sets (25-20, 25-22).
The Girls 16 Red team opened the tournament by defeating AVVC in straight sets (25-13, 25-18) before falling to EC Power and Metro. On the second day of the tournament, they girls picked up a win over DIGS in straight sets (25-17, 25-11), then advanced to the Silver playoff bracket. The girls fell to the PGH Elite in three sets (25-18, 20-25, 15-13) in the opening round. They girls then played in a Silver bracket seeding match vs. EC Power Federal, which they won in three sets (18-25, 25-17, 15-9).
GIRLS 17s
The 17 year old age group is always one of the toughest age groups to compete in. Both the 17 Red and the 17 White teams faced some very difficult competition at this tournament. Both teams played hard throughout the tournament and, in the end, it was a sibling rivalry as both the Red and the White teams faced each other in their playoff bracket. In this match, the Red team came out on top with a straight sets victory over the White team (25-21, 25-22).
GIRLS 18s
Also playing in a tough age group is the 18s. For the Girls 18 White South, the ECP Invitational is a great opportunity to see some of the toughest teams in the region and a chance to further develop as volleyball players. They most certainly did that as they earned a spot in the Bronze playoff bracket. In the Bronze, they feel to the NYC Juniors in straight sets.
The Girls 18 White North team opened the tournament with a 3-1 record as they picked up wins over EC Power Royal (17-25, 25-23, 20-18), NYC Juniors (25-22, 25-11), and AVVC (25-13, 25-19). On the second day of the tournament, the girls dropped a match to the EC Power Sapphire.
With a pool play record of 3-2, the girls qualified for the Silver playoff bracket, where they dropped a match to the EC Power Regal in straight sets. In the second round of the bracket, the girls played a seeding match with DIGS, which they won in straight sets - including a second set thriller that went in to extra points (25-13, 29-27).
Congratulations to all Academy teams for competing in the first major tournament of the season!
COMING UP FOR ACADEMY
Next up for the Academy Girls teams are a few GEVA tournaments followed by the Mid-Atlantic Power Leauge in Hampton Virginia on January 27-28 and the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington DC in February.
For the boys, the Red teams will be traveling to Jacksonville Florida to compete in the Florida Fest. Then, later in February, all boys teams will head to Harrisburg, PA to compete in the Boys Atlantic Northeastern (BANE) tournament.
Academy Player Spotlight
Throughout the season, All Things ACAD looks to share the news and achievements of Academy athletes. For the first entry of the 2018 season, please see below to learn about Jason Koehler of our Boys 18 Red team and Lauren Wong of our Girls 16 White-North team.
Jason Koehler, Boys 18 Red
Jason Koehler, a Middle on the Boys 18 Red team and Lindenhurst High School Senior, recently committed to Springfield College (last year's NCAA D-III National Champion). See Below for Jason's highlights:
- 4 Year Varsity Player/Starter Lindenhurst High School
Named All-County (Suffolk) (3x)
Named All-County Tournament Team (3x)
All-Long Island First Team (2x)
Lindenhurst MVP Boys Varsity Volleyball (2x)
Newsday Top 10 Player for Long Island (2x)
Newsday Top 25 Player for Long Island
GEVA USA High Performance Team (2x)
Lauren Wong, 16 White North
Congratulations to Lauren Wong on her outstanding rookie season on the Holy Trinity Girls Varsity Volleyball team.
- Led conference with 362 Digs (4.64/set)
- Led conference .962 serve receive
- All tournament honors in both tournaments Holy Trinity competed in 2017.
- Named to All-Conference team
- 2017 Libero of the Year
- 2017 Rookie of the Year
Commit to a College? Win a Special Award? Make sure you let us know. Periodically, throughout the season, we will would like to feature it here. Make sure you let a coach or director know. You can also let us know here.
Academy Boys Earn Suffolk High School Honors
On December 11, 2017 the Suffolk County Boys Volleyball Association held their annual awards banquet. Many of the Academy boys athletes earned some well-deserved recognition for the hard work they put in during the season. See below for more.
Brennen Brandow
Suffolk County Player of the Year/ Tournament MVP
AJ Fitzgerald & Dan Shanley
Rookie of the Year
Bryan Kaplan & Trey Cole
Libero of the Year
Nick Mazzaro
Academic Elite
Matthew Rivera & Matthew DiStefano
Varsity Coach of the Year
ALL-COUNTY
Trey Cole, Connetquot
Brennen Brandow, Eastport South Manor
Tyler Plitt, Eastport South Manor
Quinn Foglia, Eastport South Manor
Jason Koehler, Lindenhurst
Troy VonHolt, Lindenhurst
Ben Sandt, Northport
Andrew Watts, Northport
Gavin Quiery, Sachem East
Alec Lehnert, Sachem North
Connor Pallmann, Sachem North
Jack Driscoll, Sachem North
Daniel LaRosa, Sachem North
A.J. Fitzgerald, Sachem North
Kyle Shaffer, Smithtown East
Bryan Kaplan, Smithtown East
Chris Shanley, Smithtown West
Kevin Kelleher, Smithtown West
Jack Poplawski, Walt Whitman
Sean Williams, Walt Whitman
ALL-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Tyler Plitt, ESM
Quinn Foglia, ESM
Jason Koehler, Lindenhurst
Andrew Watts, Northport
AJ Fitzgerald, Sachem North
Alec Lehnert, Sachem North
Daniel LaRosa, Sachem North
Connor Pallmann, Sachem North
Bryan Kaplan, Smithtown East
Kyle Shaffer, Smithtown East
Chris Shanley, Smithtown West
Kevin Kelleher, Smithtown West
Jack Poplawski, Walt Whitman
Sean Williams, Walt Whitman
ALL-COUNTY ACADEMIC
Nicholas Mazzaro, Connetquot
Alec Lehnert, Sachem North
Daniel LaRosa, Sachem NortH
Tyler Brunquell, Sachem North
Kyle Shaffer, Smithtown East
Kevin Kelleher, Smithtown West
Christopher Shanley, Smithtown West
ALL-DIVISION
Nick Mazzaro, Connetquot
Brandon Kelly, Eastport South Manor
Dominic Pikura, Lindenhurst
Matthew Russo, Sachem North
Josh George, Ward Melville