News, Updates, and More.
Academy Athletes Represent at 2017 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships
The 2017 High Performance Championships have concluded in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Academy Volleyball is would like to congratulate all of the teams on their participation in the tournament.
Academy Volleyball would also like to congratulate it's players who represented Academy on various teams throughout the tournament.
Whether it was a USA Volleyball national team or a GEVA High Performance team, Academy players were involved at all levels.
Bronze for the Boys
The GEVA Boys Select Blue team, playing in the Regional division had an impressive 7-2 overall record throughout the tournament and defeated the Ohio Valley Region team in four sets to win the Bronze medal (3rd overall in the tournament).
Representing Academy on the GEVA Boys Select Blue team was:
- Joshua George (16 Red)
- Jack Driscoll (17 Red)
- Jack Palmer (16 Red)
- AJ Fitzgerald (15 Red)
- CJ Johnson (15 Red)
Academy Volleyball Represented on USA Teams
Academy Volleyball was represented on Team USA High Performance teams.
Representing Academy for the second year in a row is Trey Cole.
Trey is a Libero on the Boys 16 Red team and played on the Boys USA Select A1 team.
Also representing Academy on Team USA is Andrew Watts. Andrew, also on the Boys 16 Red team, is a Middle Hitter and played for the Boys USA Select A1 Stars.
Gold for the Girls
The GEVA Girls Youth team had an outstanding tournament with an overall record of 8-0, a 1st place overall finish - and a Gold medal. Representing Academy on the GEVA Girls Youth team were:
- Daniella Balsano (16 Red)
- Mia Cergol (16 Red)
- Cassandra Patsos (17 Red)
- Mackenzie Taylor (17 Red)
- Lauren Wilke (17 Red)
- Cierra Dolan (17 Red)
- Grace Rosenberg (17 White Steve)
Academy Volleyball was well represented at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships, to see how all of the teams that had an Academy player on it finished, please use the links below. Congrats to all of the teams and to the Academy Volleyball athletes.
GEVA Teams
USA Volleyball HP Teams
2017 Junior National Championships
Oakdale, NY – The 2017 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships are officially in the books as this past late June/early July, six Academy teams competed this years tournament. For the girls, the tournament was held in Minneapolis, MN where the 13, 16, and 17 Red teams competed. The boys national championships were in Columbus, OH where the 15, 16, and 17 Red teams competed.
Every team who competes at the Junior National Championships had to qualify to be there. That’s why this tournament is the most competitive of the club season. The teams at this tournament represent the best teams from around the country.
Girls 13 Red
First up is the girls 13 Red, who had a very strong season in qualifying for the national tournament. Playing in the National division the girls split their matches on the opening day of the tournament as they picked up a win over Club V and dropping a match to Aspire.
During the second day of the tournament, they dropped matches to Circle City, MDJRS and 915. However, they rebounded on the third day of the tournament with a three-set victory over NAVC (25-16, 17-25, 15-11). In their playoff bracket, the girls defeated Niagra Frontier in three sets (26-24, 17-25, 115-11) before falling in the finals to the NYC Juniors.
Boys 15 Red
The Academy Boys 15 Red went to Nationals with a roster of 7 boys, but displayed plenty of heart. Experimenting with a new format by USA Volleyball, the boys opening round pool was played with six teams and split out over the first two days of the tournament.
The boys went 1-3 against the four teams they played, picking up a win over Ku’ikahi (Hawaii). However after the opening round was completed, there was a three-way tie. The boys needed to play two tie-breaking sets before the field could be separated. In the tie-breakers, the boys defeated Phoenix 15 Red in convincing fashion, by a score of 25-13. The second tie-breaker game was against Ku’ikahi, which the boys won 25-23.
After the first two days of the tournament, the boys were still in contention for the Gold bracket, however they dropped three matches on the third day of the tournament to San Clemente, Hitmen, and OCVC. In their playoff bracket the boys fell to Rise in three sets. Overall the boys finished 23rd in the country. Finishing in the top 25 with only 7 boys is a great accomplishment!
Girls 16 Red
Also playing in a six-team pool (played over two days) was the Girls 16 Red. On the first day, they split their matches, going 1-1, picking up the win over Northside Out Chicago in straight sets (25-22, 25-21). During the second day of the opening round of pool play, the girls went 1-2 as they defeated RVC 16 National, while dropping matches to A5 South and Dynasty 16 Black.
During the second round of pool play, the girls dropped matches to Club One and AJ Storm, which set them up for one more match on the day (a challenge match to determine their playoff seeding). In this match, the girls defeated C1VB 16 Elite in straight sets (25-21, 25-15). In their playoff bracket, the girls faced the Celtic Force in the opening round, who they defeated in two straight sets (25-16, 25-14).
The girls advanced to the finals of their playoff bracket, where they fell to the Asics Willowbrook 16 Gold.
Boys 16 Red
The boys 16 Red team arrived at nationals coming off a tournament win at the Boys East Coast Championships in Richmond, VA. The boys had a rough first day at Nationals as they went 0-3, dropping matches to Seaside (California), SB Coast (California), and NV Elite (Puerto Rico).
The boys were resilient in coming back to go 2-1 on the second day of the tournament as they picked up wins over Bay to Bay (25-20, 25-18) and MAC (25-21, 25-19) and dropping a match to LBVC. During the third day of the tournament the boys defeated a team from Florida, 352 Elite, in three sets (25-18, 21-25, 15-9) while dropping their match against High Performance St. Louis.
Those matches set up the boys for their playoff bracket, where they defeated Vanguard in the first round (25-15, 25-19) before falling in the finals to Pulse Athletics. The boys capped off a very successful season by finishing in the top 25 teams in the country (23rd overall).
Girls 17 Red
The girls 17 Red team had a rough start to their tournament as they went 0-3 on the first day of the tournament, dropping matches to Club One, CVC, and Manoa Beach. After that start, the girls were able to re-focus and come back strong on the second day of the tournament as they went 2-1, picking up wins over Volley FX (25-17, 25-16) and M1 (25-19, 18-25, 15-10).
The girls won both of their matches on the third day of the tournament, picking up wins over Paramount (25-17, 25-25) and Brandywine Blackout (20-25, 25-16, 15-11). These victories set the girls up for their playoff bracket where they fell to the Top Select 17 Elite in two straight.
Boys 17 Red
The boys 17 Red team opened their tournament the same as many of the other Academy teams began their tournament – by going 0-3 on the first day, dropping matches to Torimar, Coastal, and Coast.
However, like many of the other Academy teams, the boys were also able to re-focus and come back strong on the second day as they picked up wins over LVC (20-25, 25-23, 25-12) and Yorktowne 17 Blue (15-25, 25-21, 16-14), dropping their only match of the day to LIVBC.
The third day of the tournament, the boys won both of their matches ], notching a win over the Milwaukee Sting in two straight sets (25-19, 25-17) and Eden Mizuno (25-19, 25-19). With those two wins, the boys qualified for the Bronze “A” bracket where they fell to the MB Surf Asics in the first round in three sets (26-24, 11-25, 16-14). The boys played strong throughout the tournament and finished 17th overall.
This completion of the Boys and Girls Junior National Championships officially ends the 2017 Club Volleyball season. For some of the players on the 17s teams, this was the final tournament of their club careers as they are graduating from high school and moving on to the next phase of their academic and athletic careers.
Academy Volleyball would like to wish all of those players good luck and much success in all you do. Please share your success stories with us and come back and visit.
Missry Making an Impact on USA Men's Junior National Team
UPDATE
Long Island's, Dylan Missry, led Team USA in scoring to help the team defeat Morocco at the FIVB Men's U21 World Championships. To read more please click here.
Missry played under Academy Volleyball's Boys Directors Matthew Rivera and Matthew DiStefano at Sachem North High School.
Academy Volleyball would like to acknowledge Long Island's Dylan Missry as he competes on the USA Volleyball Men's Junior National Team at the FIVB Men’s Under-21 World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic.
Missry played under Academy Volleyball Boys Directors Matthew Rivera and Matthew DiStefano while at Sachem North High School, winning a New York State Championship in 2014.
Missry, a starter on the Men's Junior National team, recently led the team in scoring with 12 points on 12 kills against a very talented team from Russia. Missry is also an Outside Hitter at UCLA and will be entering his Junior year there in the fall. Missry's younger sister, Danielle, plays for the Academy Girls 12 Red team.
Congratulations to Dylan Missry on his recent success good luck the rest of the way at the Men's Under-21 World Championships. You can follow the FIVB Men's U-21 World Championships by clicking here.
Virginia is for Ballers!
May 30, 2017, Richmond VA - On Memorial Day weekend, the Academy Boys teams traveled to Richmond, Virginia to compete in the East Coast Championships. The tournament was full of excitement as the newly-formed 14 Red team got their first taste of tournament action, the 18 Red team closed out their club careers, and in between there was plenty of non-stop action! The tournament featured three Academy teams who advanced to the Gold bracket – with the 16s winning the championship! Read on.
14 Red
Academy Volleyball is excited to welcome the new 14 Red team to their first-ever tournament. This team was formed following Academy’s Boys Middle School Clinic & Tournament.
Having only practiced a few weeks together, we’re happy to see them out there and having fun. They faced established clubs such as Coastal and MVC.
They earned a pair of wins over LIVBC 14 White – but most importantly were able to experience the competition and fun of participating in a tournament – welcome to volleyball boys!
15s
Both the 15 Red and 15 White team competed in this tournament. The 15 White team played in a tough, 4-team pool on the first day. At the end of the first day, they were tied with three other clubs at a 1-2 record. This forced a play-in match to determine pools for the second day, which they dropped to LVC Black (a team they had picked up a win over earlier in the day).
On the second day of pool play, the boys went 2-1 as they picked up wins over Plainview and RVC. This set them up for the Bronze playoff bracket on the last day of the tournament. In the Bronze, they defeated the LVC Black team in the semi-finals before falling to BRYC in the Bronze finals. The boys finished the tournament 10th overall.
The 15 Red team had one shot left to earn a bid to Nationals – and they were determined to do so right from the start. The first day of pool play featured wins over RVC and RCVC as the boys went 2-1, dropping a match to cross-town rivals LIVBC.
On the second day, the boys made their run as they once again went 2-1, picking up wins over Warren Sixpak and Sportime – and dropping a match to A-10.
The boys record of 4-2 over the first two days of the tournament earned them a spot in the Gold playoff bracket – and that elusive bid to the BJNC! The boys dropped their semi-final match to Pace in the Gold bracket, and finished the tournament tied for 3rd place overall.
16 Red
The 16s came out of the gate fast – and never looked back as they went a perfect 9-0 at the tournament! During the opening day of pool play the boys defeated RVC, Top Select 16, and Coastal Navy all in straight sets. During the second day of pool play, the boys defeated Orlando Gold, TVP, and Warren Sixpak – dropping only one set to Orlando. With a 6-0 record after two days, the boys qualified for the Gold playoff bracket.
In the Gold playoff bracket, they boys took nothing for granted as they worked harder than ever to pick up wins over Warren Sixpak, RVC, and Pace – all in straight sets – for the tournament championship! Their performance was as dominant an Academy boys team had so far this season. Congratulations to the boys 16 Red on your tournament victory.
17s
All three 17s teams participated in this tournament. The 17s division is always one of the toughest divisions to play in during the club season as there is so much competition. The 17 Blue team felt it on the first day of the tournament as they went 0-3 in pool play. However they bounced back strong on the second day as they went 2-1 in pool play as they picked up wins over Sportime and FIMOJO. The boys qualified for the playoffs on the third day of the tournament where they fell in the first round to Coastal 17 Gold.
The 17 White team had a rough first day of the tournament as they dropped their matches during the opening round of pool play. The boys bounced back on the second day as they went 2-1, picking up wins over JJVA and Coastal Hampton Roads. In the playoff round, the boys faced Warren Sixpak R1 in the first round and picked up a three-set victory (25-20,22-25,15-11). With that win, the boys advanced to their playoff bracket finals, where the fell to Coastal 17 Gold in three sets (24-26,25-18,15-12).
The 17 Red team opened the tournament with three straight wins over RVC, FIMOJO, and Sportime respectively – all in two straight sets.
The second day brought more success for the 17 Red as they once again swept their pool, defeating LVC, MVC, and Pace.
After the first two days of the tournament, the boys were 6-0 and headed to the Gold playoff bracket.
In the Gold bracket, the boys faced Warren Sixpak in the first round where they fell in two sets. Overall, the boys tied for 5th place out of 29 teams.
18 Red
The 18 Red opened the tournament going 1-2 during the first day of pool play, picking up a win over Coastal 18 Gold.
During the second day of pool play the 18 Red went 3-0, picking up wins over RVC, Triangle, and SERV – all in two straight sets!
In their playoff bracket, the boys faced Texas Permier in the first round and defeated them in two straight sets (26-24,25-19). From there they advanced to the playoff finals against GSA, which they won in three sets (24-26,25-11,15-11).
For the 18 Red, this tournament will be the final tournament of their club careers. All of us at Academy Volleyball would like to thank them for their dedication and passion – and wish these young men much success on their future endeavors.
2017 Girls 18 Junior National Championships
Jamie Smith of Academy Volleyball's 18 Red team is featured by USA Volleyball on their social media handles during the opening of the tournament.
April 24, 2017 – This past weekend, the Girls 18 Red team traveled to Dallas, TX to compete in the 2017 Girls 18 Junior National Championships. For the girls, this is last tournament in their Academy Volleyball careers as they will now be moving on to the college ranks.
The Junior National Championships at the 18 age group is one of the toughest to get in to – and has the most intense competition. The girls faced teams from as far away as Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, and Idaho. They battled and were competitive in every match of the tournament, which was highlighted by a straight set victory over Vision 18 Indy Elite (25-23, 25-12).
Congratulations to the 18 Red on an excellent season. On behalf of everyone at Academy Volleyball, we wish the girls on our 18 Red and 18 White teams much success in college and beyond. Please make sure to check back in with us and let us help you celebrate your future achievements.
Part 2 of Academy Double-Header - Easter Weekend
The second half of the Academy Double Header Philadelphia was played this past weekend over the Easter break as all three 16s and 17s competed in the Northeast Qualifier. The competition was tough all weekend as the Academy girls represented themselves and the club very respectably.
See below for quick recaps of each team’s performance.
16s
The 16 Red team opened the tournament going 1-2 in pool play as dropped matches to A5 Mizuno and EC Power. They picked up a win over the NYC Juniors in two straight sets (25-14, 25-22). The girls then went 2-1 on the second day of pool play as they won against Dulles and Blue Ridge in three sets each, while dropping a match to Revolution 16 White. The girls qualified for the Bronze playoff bracket, where the fell in the first round to the Elite VBTC in three sets (20-25, 25-22, 15-11).
The 16 White Dills started off on the right foot as they went 2-1 on the first day of the tournament picking up wins over Beach Elite and NYC impact, while dropping a match to American. On the second day of pool play, the girls also went 2-1 as they picked up a pair of three-set victories over USPAV (25-21, 17-25, 15-12) and CJ Heat (25-15, 23-25, 15-10), while dropping a match to Triangle.
The girls then had to play a 1-set playoff game to determine their playoff bracket, which they fell to USPAV (25-22).
The girls moved on to the Bronze C playoff bracket where they fell in the first round to the Stealth National.
Also playing in the Philadelphia Northeast Qualifier was the 16 White Dave, who also went 2-1 on their opening day of pool play.
They picked up wins over Coastal 16 Gold (25-20, 25-19) and Momentum Black (25-12, 25-12), while dropping a match to WPVC.
On the second day of the tournament the girls dropped all three of their matches to CPVBC, CJVA, and the CJ Heat.
In their playoff bracket, the 16 White Dave went undefeated as they picked up wins over CJ Heat (25-15, 25-18), Rennaisance (24-26, 25-19, 15-8), and Delaware United (22-25, 25-12, 15-11).
17s
The girls 17 Red team also had a successful first day as they went 2-1 during pool play. They picked up wins over Brandywine and Dulles, while dropping a set to OT 16. The girls had a rough second day of pool play as they dropped all three of their matches. They qualified for the Bronze playoff bracket, where they fell in the first round to A5 Mizuno.
17 White Dani Wins the Silver Bracket!
The 17 White Dani team’s season keeps rolling along as they also went 2-1 during the first day of pool play. They dropped a match to Coastal to start the day before picking up wins over Princeton (20-25, 25-23, 15-7) and High Line C17 (25-12, 26-24). During the second day of pool play at the tournament, they went 1-2 as they picked up a win over Rennaisance.
The girls then had to play a 1-set seeding match against Rennaisance, which they won, 25-18. From there the girls had to play another seeding match, which they lost to Triangle won in two straight sets. From there the 17 White Dani had a 1-set play-in match against Beach Elite, which they won 25-21.
That victory earned them a spot in the Silver bracket, which they won by picking up wins over BEVBC and Infinity 17 Black. For the tournament, the girls finished 17th out of 79 teams
Rounding out the tournament was the 17 White Steve team. Like the other teams, the 17 White Steve opened the tournament by going 2-1 as they picked up wins over Synergy (25-19, 25-27, 15-9) and MDJRS (25-16, 25-15).
From there the girls went 1-2 as they dropped matches to LVA and the TX tornados, while earning a victory over RVJ.
The girls qualified for the Bronze A bracket, where they picked up a win over Beach Elite in the first round in three sets (18-25, 25-22, 15-9) before dropping their second round match to CJV.
Congratulations to all the girls on a great tournamet.
Living Legend
The sound is unmistakable. Sneakers squeaking across a gym floor. Volleyballs spiked on the floor echo off the high ceiling in the gym. Non-stop chatter fills the spaces between the relentless movement during a volleyball practice – and then you hear it....
“fwheeeeet!!”
The distinct sound that instantly rises above it all.
“fwheeeeet!!”
Suddenly, everything stops. Silence takes over the gym in an instant. The only sounds you can hear now are the low hum of the fluorescent lighting and that of a single man’s voice.
That man, is Academy Volleyball’s Coach Bill Kropp. The man whose whistle can silence a gym in an instant – even though he’s never carried one.
If you’ve ever played for Coach Kropp or have been at one of his practices, you know the sound – and it IS unmistakable. If you’ve been around Coach Kropp’s practices, you would also know that what comes after the whistle was always worth its weight in gold. That’s because Kropp is the consummate teacher, dedicated to making those around him better every day.
For those of you who only see Coach Kropp on game day, you see an intense competitor. A passionate and demanding coach with high expectations. You don’t always see the coach who cares deeply about the players who play for him.
Ask anyone who has played for Kropp and they will tell you that it is not always easy, but is always for the better. A coach who never stops teaching no matter how late in a game, or how late in a season. He knows that it is always a good time to get better. Players who have played for Coach Kropp have the highest volleyball IQ and are among the most prepared players on the court.
This past fall the Boys Volleyball Suffolk County Coaches Association honored Coach Kropp with a Lifetime Achievement Award. As the recently retired Sachem East High School history teacher had also retired from coaching high school volleyball.
Academy Head Coach, Rick Cole, presents Bill Kropp with a SCHVA Lifetime Acheivement Award.
Honoring Kropp with a Lifetime Achievement Award must have been an easy decision to make.
If there was a Long Island Volleyball “Hall of Fame”, then he would be in that too.
That’s because Bill Kropp has blazed a trail of success in volleyball on Long Island that may never be duplicated. It would be a difficult task to find someone who can match the success that Kropp has had throughout his coaching career.
But for those who are wondering, Kropp is far from retired. In many ways, he’s just getting started. But before we get to that, let's take a moment to reflect on what has led to this point in Kropp's coaching career.
And Then, There Was Volleyball
Growing up on Long Island, Bill Kropp was an athlete. An avid cross country runner, he was a tall, lean, and fast young man. Not a hint of volleyball was on his radar. After graduating from high school, Kropp enrolled at the State University of New York at New Paltz. While at the university, Kropp continued to run cross country on the school team. Until IT happened.
One day, on a fateful walk through the gym, Kropp noticed the New Paltz men's volleyball team practice. It was not long before the team would spot this tall, lean kid and invite him to give the sport a try during their practice. Instantly, he was hooked. The athletic left-handed cross country runner soon developed into a talented right side and quickly made a name for himself as a dominating blocker.
The stars seemed to be aligning as Kropp did what you might now have expected him to do, he started coaching. While still in college, Kropp began coaching a local New Paltz high school cross country team and hasn’t stopped coaching ever since. That one fateful walk through the gym would set him on a direction that would affect not only his life, but the countless other lives of the people who have played for him the next 35 years.
Blazing a Trail
Kropp and one of his Sachem teams.
Upon graduation from college, Kropp moved back to Long Island and accepted a position at Sachem High School as a history teacher.
His effusive personality quickly made him a popular figure in the classroom with his students as well as his peers. His Halloween costumes would become the stuff of legends.
His passion for volleyball still strong, he took a position as the Assistant Girls Varsity Volleyball coach. It was not long after that, that Kropp would move up to the head coaching position.
Then, in 1989, Bill Kropp started a boys varsity volleyball program at Sachem High School. For Kropp, coaching became a year-round endeavor.
In the fall, he would coach the boys and in the spring, he would coach the girls. In fact, the only reason he stopped coaching the girls was when they moved the girls season to the fall – which overlapped with the boy’s season.
In the process, he set a standard of excellence by which every Sachem volleyball team would be measured against. He also set the bar by which every competing program would try to beat. His programs were so steeped in winning traditions they often drew the ire of opposing teams and players.
His teams always had a target on their back as opponents often circled the Sachem game on their schedules because they so badly wanted to beat them.
But if you peel back the curtain and look at what drove all that winning, it’s hard not to have respect for it, no matter which side of the fence you sit on. Kropp was a teacher in the classroom and in the gym.
He is constantly teaching and guiding. His belief was that your first job as a coach was to care for every one of your players and your second was to get them to perform at the best of their abilities.
He is competitive and his expectations are high.
It is not always easy to play for a coach like that, but those that did, left the program with a mastery of fundamentals that were necessary on the court as well as a respect for preparation that is necessary in life on the court or off.
In addition to coaching the boys and girls high school team, Bill Kropp’s other efforts include running volleyball camps every summer, coaching the boys teams for the Empire State Games (a former intra-state athletic competition event), playing volleyball for the men’s division at the Empire State Games, and coaching at the collegiate level for the women’s programs at Stony Brook University and Southampton College.
His list of accomplishments may never be duplicated:
Coaching Accomplishments - BOYS
- Led the sachem boys program from 1989 through 2016 (27 years), amassing 366 wins and only 115 losses (that’s a win percentage of 76%)
- 76 regular season game winning streak 1992 - 1996
- Led the boys teams to 10 county championships winning 5 of them
- Led the boys to 12 Division championships
- Won Long Island boys volleyball championships in 2013
- New York State Finalist in 2013
- Qualified for boys playoffs 25 out of 27 years
- 8x Boys Suffolk County Coach of the Year
- Voted as Newsday’s’ boys coach of the year in 2013
Coaching Accomplishments - GIRLS
- 12 years as Girls Varsity head coach, leading them to an overall record of 222 wins and only 44 loses – a win percentage of 83%
- Led the girls to 6 county championships, winning 3 of them.
- 6 league championships (girls)
- 12 playoff seasons (girls)
- Led the girls to Suffolk county final four 10 out of 12 seasons
- 6x girls coach of the year
Coaching Accomplishments - OVERALL
- Total sachem record 707 wins to 165 losses – a winning percentage of 81%
- Appeared in 16 county championships winning 8 of them
- 12 league championships
- 12 division championships
- 1 Long Island championship
- 1 state finals appearance
- Qualified for playoffs 37 out of 39 attempts
- 14x Suffolk County coach of the year
- Coached three collegiate teams
- Coached 6 years at Empire State games
- 1 Gold medal at the Empire State games
- Coached club (travel) volleyball for 17 years (girls and boys)
Indeed, Fewer people have done more for their sport, than Bill Kropp has done for volleyball on Long Island.
Leaving A Legacy
Looking back at Coach Bill Kropp’s high school coaching career, it’s easy to see how he has both set the standard for what it means to be a winning coach and has also changed the landscape of a sport he loves so dearly.
Coach Bill Kropp has left a legacy of success that will endure and multiply simply by way of all the lives he has affected. In fact, two of his former players now helm the boys varsity program at Sachem North. Many of the coaching concepts and techniques they learned from Kropp, they are now passing on to their players.
Here are just a few things that some of his former players and coaches have had to say:
“I am proud to call him a friend, a mentor and a role model. Not only is Bill a great coach - he has developed a cadre of successful coaches under his mentorship that have gone on to build on his legacy. We have the great fortune to stand on his shoulders to reach new heights - the shoulders of a giant in our game.”
“Coach Kropp’s passion for teaching and ability to inspire are truly the bedrock of Mens Volleyball on LI. His influence has not only led to the rapid growth of the sport but his competitive nature continues to push the standard of excellence.
It is only fitting that in introducing a new collegiate program to Long Island, St. Josephs College chose Coach Kropp who will no doubt continue to raise the bar for everyone. ”
“Coach Kropp was not only my coach but he was also a role model. He taught me the game of volleyball and also how to work hard, stay motivated and achieve goals. Coach Kropp has opened the path to success for hundreds of athletes he has touched in his life. I’m just lucky enough to be one of them!”
“When I think about all the successes I have had in volleyball, I am humbly aware that none of it would have been possible without Coach Kropp.
He pushed me beyond the limits I believed I had. He taught me about commitment, work ethic, and always giving 100% every time I step on the court.
The lessons he instilled in me on the volleyball court have stayed with me in my life as a mother, a friend, a teammate, and a person.
It is because of him that volleyball has played such a vital role in my life and I aspire to someday be half the coach he was to me. It is an honor and a privilege to have played for him.
”A good coach improves your game... a great coach improves your life” ”
“Playing for Mr. Kropp was, without question, one of the most rewarding, inspiring, and fulfilling years of my life. Aside from the countless physical lessons we all learned from Coach, like “how proper platform preparation prevents poor passing” or “1 above 2 above 3, 3 before 2 before 1”, what I take most from Mr. Kropp is how he instills in his players just how to be an athlete.
How to compete against yourself and to settle for nothing less than your best; how to never stop learning the game, how to win with humility and lose with pride and regardless of what happens, get back in the gym and work even harder the next day.
Coach Kropp helped me to discover who I was as an athlete, and more importantly showed me the kind of athlete and person that I wanted to be.
Mr. Kropp was so much more than my volleyball coach, but in a sense he was my mirror. Playing for him was the first time as an athlete that I took a good, hard look at who I was and what I wanted to do.
In so many ways, he shaped who I was as an athlete and person, and I could not feel more blessed to have been able to call him my coach.
He is truly one of a kind, irreplaceable, and one who I credit with instilling in me the many values I try to pass on to my student-athletes today.”
Pioneering A New Frontier
When a man has accomplished as much in his sport as Bill Kropp the question becomes, “what else can he possibly do next?”. The answer is simple. Find a new challenge in which to create a new path. That is exactly what he has done.
For the first time in Long Island’s modern history, there is now a men’s volleyball collegiate program as a varsity sport. This is a tremendous opportunity for a sport that continuously sends players off Long Island to compete at the NCAA level. The college that introduced this new program in 2017 is St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue. The man they trusted to establish and lead this new era… Bill Kropp.
Armed with the man with the legendary record leading them, the challenge ahead is daunting. A new program, playing in the Skyline division with a coach and players who have never played together, playing alongside established programs.
Additionally, their roster boasts two juniors, one sophomore, and eight freshmen – no seniors. Despite the challenges, Kropp has led this group to an excellent 18-10 overall record, including 4-3 in their conference. In the school’s first ever Men’s Volleyball playoff game, Kropp guided his team to a 3-1 victory over Sage and is now headed to the Skyline Conference Semi-Finals against perennial powerhouse, Kean University. Safe to say that Kropp and his team have burst on to the NCAA stage and are positioned to do some damage over the long-term. And once again, Kropp is in the familiar place of being the standard bearer for which future programs to follow.
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate Coach Kropp on his outstanding high school coaching career and wish him continued success in his collegiate career. Academy is honored to have a coach of Bill Kropp’s caliber on its current roster of coaches.
UPDATE:
Coach Bill Kropp has just added to his legacy with another coaching accolade as he was named the 2017 Coach of the Year for the Skyline Conference (St. Joseph's College, NCAA III).
Double Header in Philadelphia
With April bringing the start of the MLB baseball season, it’s only appropriate that the Academy Girls begin the month with a volleyball double-header. Except this version of a double header means the girls program heads to Philadelphia in two consecutive weeks for the Northeast Qualifiers (NEQ). In the first round of the double header, the girls 13 – 15s teams were on deck. See below for a quick recap of the weekend’s performance.
13 Red
The 13 Red team opened their tournament the right way – by going 3-0 during the first day of pool play. The girls day featured wins over AVA, Penn Highlands, and Vienna Elite. During the second day of pool play, the girls dropped matches to NVVA and Beach Elite, while picking up a win over Ignite in two straight sets (25-18, 25,8). After the first two days of pool play, the girls had a record of 4-2 which qualified them for the Silver Playoff bracket. In the Silver, the girls faced the DE Juniors in the first round and won in three sets (21-25, 25-12, 15-7), before falling in the second round to the eventual Silver bracket champs, Coastal 13 Blue.
14s
During the first day of pool play, the 14 Red were 2-1, picking up wins over the TCA Magic (20-25, 25-14, 15-13) and Beach Elite (25-21, 25-16). From there the girls had an even stronger second day of pool play as they went 3-0 by defeating the Paradigm Riot, SMJ 14 United, and Keystone Juniors Premiere. After two days, the girls had an overall record of 5-1 and headed to their playoff bracket where they defeated the PGH Elite in the first round, the EC Power in the second round, and Summit CJVA in the finals to win their playoff bracket!
The 14 White had a rough first day of pool play as they went 1-2, picking up a win over CHVBC in two straight sets (25-23, 25-19). The girls also had a rough second day as they dropped three matches, including a tough 3-set match against No Panic (25-23, 21-25, 15-8). In the girls playoff bracket they faced MDJRS in the first round and won in three sets (25-13, 23-25, 15-9) before falling in the finals to Cali.
15s
The 15 White team hung tough during this tournament. During the first day of pool play they dropped their matches. The second day of the tournament, the girls would face a similar challenge, however the day was highlighted with a three-set match with No Panic (17-25, 25-20, 15-11). In their playoff bracket the girls faced dropped a match against the Firebird 15s.
The 15 Red team opened their tournament by dropping matches to Triangle and Metro before picking up three straight wins over the next two days. The girls defeated the Husky 15 National, NVVA, and CPVBC before dropping a match to Brandywine. With a 3-3 record after two days of pool play, the girls qualified for the Bronze playoff bracket, where they faced the NYC Juniors in the first round and fell in three sets (21-25, 25-16, 15-10).
Up Next:
Stay tuned as this weekend the girls 16 – 17s teams head to Philadelphia for the second week of the volleyball double-header!
Girls March GEVA Round-Up
March 30, 2017 – This past weekend many of our girls teams competed in GEVA tournaments located around the region. See below for a quick recap of the weekend’s games:
12s
The 12s continued their winning ways as they travelled to Sportime in Bethpage for their tournament. The girls had a winning record as they won 5 sets and lost only 3. This was good for third place in their pool! Great job in only their second tournament of the season!
13s
The 13 Red team traveled to Iona College for their tournament, which consisted of a mix of age groups. The girls faced some teams who were 14 and 15 years old, which presented them with a good challenge. The girls held their own and finished 5th out of 8 teams!
14s
The 14 White team played in the GEVA tournament located at Sportime in Bethpage. They were undefeated in pool play going 3 – 0. In the playoff bracket, the girls defeated the LIVBC 14 White team in the first round, the Sportime Black team in the second round, and fell to the B&B Black team in the finals. The girls placed 2nd out of 12 teams.
The 14 Red team played at the Powerzone Volleyball Center tournament in New Jersey. The girls played up age as they were in the 15’s age division. The girls went 0-3 in pool play and lost to the Allegro 15s in the opening round of the playoff bracket.
15s
The 15 White team played their GEVA Power League tournament at All Seasons Sports Academy in New Jersey.
They finished third in their pool and took 2nd place in their conference playoff bracket.
The 15 Red team’s Power League tournament was held at The Masters School. The girls went 3-0 during pool play. In the playoff bracket they defeated Princeton 15-1 Nationals to advance to the finals, where they defeated the New York City Juniors 15 National team in three sets. Congratulations to the 15 Red team for winning the 2017nGEVA Power League!
16s
The 16 White Dave team traveled to the Masters School for their Power League tournament. The girls went 2-1 during pool play. The girls advanced to the playoff bracket where they fell to the Aspire 16-Mirage in two sets.
The 16 White Dills team played at All Seasons Sports Academy for their tournament. The girls finished in fourth place during pool play. In their playoffs, they defeated the Rival 17 Attack and Sportime 17 Black to win their playoff bracket.
The 16 Red team’s Power League tournament was held at Molloy, where the girls competed in the 17s age bracket. They were up to the challenge as they went 3-0 during pool play before advancing to the playoff bracket. In the playoff bracket, the girls defeated Sportime to advance to the finals, where they fell to the New York City Juniors 17 National team in two straight sets.
17s
The 17 White Dani’s Power League tournament was played at Molloy. The girls went 1-2 during pool play and fell to the ASEVC 17 Premier team in the first round of the playoffs.
The 17 Red team played their Power League tournament at Hosftra University. They went 3-0 during pool play before advancing to the playoffs. In the opening round of the playoffs, the girls defeated the SOSVBC 17s in three sets to advance to the finals. In the finals, the girls fell to the VB Rags 17 National team in two straight.
Congrats to all of the girls teams for their efforts in the GEVA tournaments!
Next up for most of the girls teams is a major tournament – the Philadelphia Northeast Qualifier (NEQ) during the second and third weeks in April. The 18-White team has a GEVA regional tournament before both 18s teams will be heading off to Dallas, TX for the 18s National Championship tournament.
Curaro Earns Rookie of the Week Honors
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate Paul Curaro on winning his second Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week honors this season.
Curaro played for the Academy 18 Red team during the 2016 season – the inaugural boys season for Academy Volleyball. In addition, Curaro is also the current Assistant Coach for the boys 15 White team.
Curaro’s latest Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week recognition comes amid his 32 kills over the three matches played during the previous week. He had a team-high 13 kills vs. Ramapo and 15 kills vs. Kean. He had a season high of 8 aces in a single game vs. Sage. That single game stat is also the 8th highest total for a three-set match in the nation. Curaro currently has 244 kills on the season and 31 aces.
To see more, click here.