After coming up just short of the county finals for the last three years, the boys volleyball team hopes to break through in the shorter season

With the current protocols in place, the team was unable to practice prior to the season’s start, which could affect  cohesion on the court early on.  Despite this, senior captain Jonathan Klopp has no worries.  

“There’s been a lot less preparation this year in terms of having space and gym availability for open gyms, like we usually have in the summer.  But we have a lot of guys who play volleyball outside of school, and it seems that COVID hasn’t affected the ones who don’t play outside of school as well, which is good.  The team is looking very strong and I’m excited for the rest of the season,” said Klopp.  

This confidence was reflected in the team’s goals for the year.  Over the last three seasons, the volleyball team has consistently been near the top of Nassau County, making it to the County Semifinals each year, but falling in that round.  

The boys have a clear drive to reverse this trend during their 2021 campaign, and they definitely have a good chance to do it because of their ability to work as a team.  Each member knows that the team comes first, and that whatever personal goals they have must be set aside if they want to win a championship. 

“I think my personal goals reflect that of the team–we are looking to win the County Championship this year after losing to Massapequa in the Semifinals for the last three years in a row.  We have a strong senior class and while they will be one of our stronger opponents this year, they graduated a strong senior class last year, so we can definitely beat them in playoffs or the County Final this year,” said Klopp. 

Klopp displays the team’s overall attitude as they prepare for a stretch run–this is their year to win.  

“The team chemistry this year is just as good as every other year.  People on the team just seem to get along and enjoy playing for each other,” said senior captain Carter Lotz. 

The experience, knowledge, and leadership of captains Lotz, Klopp, and Josh Rosen are all key to the team’s success. 

“As a captain this year I’ve tried to be more of a guiding hand to the younger guys.  Josh, Jon, Marcus, and I all play club volleyball so we have a lot of information and experience to pass on.  There are a lot of things about volleyball that are not inherently easy and skills from other sports don’t always translate to volleyball so I’ve tried to give as much information about the game to them as possible,” said Lotz. 

Coach Maria Giamanco has been the Varsity volleyball coach at Schreiber since 1989.  This is her final year both coaching and working at Schreiber.  She leaves behind a tremendous legacy both on and off the volleyball court. 

“Especially with Coach G leaving us this year, it’s important to me that the team after me is just as prepared as any other year,” said Lotz.