News, Updates, and More.
Academy Coaches Earn Hall of Fame Honors
Academy Volleyball is pleased to announce that, in September, Coach/Director Matthew DiStefano and Coach Bill Kropp were inducted as part of the Sachem High School Athletics 2017 Hall of Fame class.
As one of the largest school districts in New York State, Sachem High School has seen its fair share of notable athletes and coaches. Being selected for the Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor and an amazing accomplishment, one that DiStefano and Kropp have more than earned.
"DEZY"
As an athlete, DiStefano earned his Hall of Fame selection for Volleyball and Basketball. He is regarded as, “one of the best two-sport athletes” in Sachem High School history. He is the only volleyball player to win Suffolk County Volleyball MVP two years in a row (‘94/’95), while also captaining his teams to two Suffolk County Championships and a 36-0 overall record.
In basketball he was the top defender on the only Sachem High School basketball team (in school district history) to win a Suffolk County Championship. It’s also worth noting that DiStefano was also a two sport athlete at his college (Mount Saint Vincent), having been inducted to the NECVA Volleyball Hall of Fame as well as having his volleyball number retired by the school.
DiStefano has been a coach of the Sachem North volleyball team for the past 17 years, winning a New York State Championship in 2014.
COACH KROPP
The Sachem High School coaching career of Bill Kropp is packed with Hall of Fame caliber numbers. Not only was he the Head Coach of the Girls Varsity Volleyball program, but he was also the founder of the Boys Volleyball program at Sachem High School (including Sachem East High School).
Coach Kropp is the owner of some mind-boggling coaching numbers. At the girls varsity level, he stands at 222 wins and 44 losses. At the boys varsity level, he boasts an astounding record of 366 wins and 115 losses. That is a combined record of 588 wins and 159 losses, which makes Coach Kropp New York State’s all-time winningest volleyball coach.
Former players Matthew DiStefano (left) and Matthew Rivera (right) present Coach Bill Kropp (center) with a plaque commemorating his induction to the New York State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The list of championships won by teams coached by Kropp is long and distinguished. Coach Kropp is a true coaching legend. To truly appreciate his accomplishments, we recommend you read our post from April 2017 when he was presented with the Suffolk County Volleyball Lifetime Achievement award.
Additionally, Coach Kropp was also recently inducted as part of the 2017 class to the New York State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
GIVING BACK
Matthew DiStefano and Bill Kropp have devoted a lifetime to the sport of volleyball. Academy Volleyball club is fortunate and honored to have such talented and accomplished coaches teaching the game to the boys in our program. Athletes who come through the Academy program benefit from the years of playing and coaching experience brought by both of these gentelemen.
Congratulations to Coach DiStefano and Coach Kropp on your induction to the Sachem Athletics Hall of Fame.
To read more about the Sachem Hall of Fame Class of 2017, click here.
To read more about the New York State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2017, click here.
DesLauriers Named Coach of the Year!
Academy Volleyball Club is proud to announce that it’s Head Director and Head Coach of the Girls 16 Red team, Kevin DesLauriers, has been named the 2017 East Coast Conference (ECC) Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year.
After finishing the previous season 6-25, the look of joy on the girls faces demonstrates the impact Coach DesLauriers has had on the Molloy program.
Earlier this year DesLauriers accepted a position as Molloy College’s Women’s Volleyball Head Coach (NCAA II). DesLauriers inherited a team that finished the previous year with an overall record of 6-25. He then proceeded to lead one of the most drastic turnarounds in ECC Conference history. In just his first year as Head Coach, DesLauriers guided the Molloy Lions to an overall record of 23-5, the top seed in the ECC playoff tournament, and the teams’ first-ever ECC Championship.
To drive home the significance of DesLauries’ accomplishment, this season was the Molloy Womens’ Volleyball first ever 20-win season – and first winning season since 1998.
And He’s Not Done Yet…
After winning the ECC Championship, Coach DesLauriers began to guide Molloy as they compete in the NCAA Eastern Regionals tournament – another first in Molloy history. On Thursday November 30th, the Molloy Lions defeated St. Anslem in a thrilling 5-set match. The Lions came back from an 0-2 set defecit to take the final three sets and advance in the NCAA tournament. Their next match is on Friday December 1, 2017 as the take on the No. 6 seed American International College in West Haven Connecticut.
Congratulations to Kevin DesLauriers on winning the 2017 ECC Coach of the Year Award – and best of luck in the NCAA tournament!
To read more about DesLauriers' accomplishment, please visit the American Volleyball Coaches Association website or the ECC website.
To follow Molloy's performance at the NCAA tournament, please visit Molloy's website.
UPDATE: Molloy NCAA bid ends as they lose in 5 sets to American International, read more here.
Academy Alumni, Jamie Smith, Wins 2017 MAAC Conference Rookie of the Year
Academy Volleyball is pleased to announce that former Academy athlete, Jamie Smith, has won the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Year award.
Smith, now a Freshman Setter for the Iona College Gaels, won Rookie of the Week honors an amazing six times during the season. Additionally, Smith led all MAAC rookies in points with 375, was second in the conference among rookies with 306 kills, and was tied for second in kills per set at 2.51.
If you would like to read more about her accomplishment, please visit the Iona College website or on the MAAC website.
Congratulations to Jamie Smith on being named the 2017 MAAC Rookie of the Year in Women’s Volleyball
Connetquot Girls Win 2017 New York State Championship.
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate the Connetquot High School Girls Varsity Volleyball team on winning the 2017 New York State Championship. For the Connetquot girls, this is their second New York State title in the last three years. Academy Volleyball would also like to congratulate and acknowledge it's players who are on the Connetquot roster, including:
- Mackenzie Cole
- Nicole Migliozzi
- Diana Migliozzi
- Cassandra Patsos
- Julia Patsos
- Mackenzie Taylor
- Kiarra Roth
- Taylor Konzen
- Daniella Balsano
- Alexandra Parillo
- Kendall Lillie
- Laurel Edwards
- Katherine Cuozzo
- Ryann Grable
- Skyla Schoppmeyer
ESM Boys Win 2017 Long Island Championship.
Academy Volleyball would also like to acknoledge the achievements of the Eastport South Manor High School Boys Varsity Volleyball team on winning the Long Island Championship. ESM High School won the Class B New York State Championship in 2016 and returned this year playing in Class A, winning the Suffolk County Championship and the Long Island Championship in that division. Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate and acknowledge it's current and incoming players on that roster, including:
- Will Kropp
- Tyler Plitt
- Brennen Brandow
- Quin Foglia
- Brandon Kelly
Brady Named News 12/Bethpage FCU Scholar Athlete
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate Allie Brady on being selected as one of the News 12/Bethpage Federal Credit Union Scholar Athlete.
Allie is a long-time Academy Volleyball player and a senior at Smithtown East High School. Allie is a picture of perserverence as an ACL injury at the beginning of last season prevented her from playing the previous year. She has come back strong and is leading her team in kills.
In addition to her on-court achievements, Allie is also a piano player and 7-time participant in the New York State solo competition. She currently has a 4.0 GPA and is in the National Honor Society.
Please join us in congratulating Allie on this tremendous accomplishment.
To see the video on News 12, please click here.
Cole Named First-Team High School All-American
Academy Volleyball athlete and Connetquot High School senior, Mackenzie Cole, has been named a 2017 First-Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
Out of over 620 nominations from around the United States, the AVCA selected a total of 150 athletes to be named All-Americans (and honorable mentions).
Cole's selection to the "First-Team" All-American is significant as they represent the top-24 high school volleyball players in the country. In addition to this honor, Cole and the other First-Team All-Americans, will play in the Under Armour Girls High School All-America Match.
The Under Armour All-America match is a national showcase game that is designed to feature the women's volleyball stars of tomorrow. The match will be played during the AVCA Convention at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mousouri on December 15th.
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate Mackenzie Cole on this tremendous honor and recognize her for her hard work, committment, and positive attitude that it takes to achieve this distinction.
Fore more information on the AVCA All-Americans, click here.
To learn more about the Under Armor All-America match, click here.
The match will be streamed on FloVolleyball.
Beckmann Featured in Newsday.
Academy athlete and Harvard University commit, Julia Beckmann, was recently featured in a Newsday article. Julia is being recognized by Newsday for currently leading her high school team, Garden City, with 113 kills and to a 2-2 league record.
You can read the article here (paywall).
Congratulations to Julia on her sucess so far this high school season!
Academy Volleyball Players Recognized by Newsday.
Academy Volleyball is pleased to recognize it's athletes that have been named by Newsday in their High School Volleyball pre-season "Top-25 Players to Watch" report. 12 Academy boys made the list as well as 15 Academy girls - an amazing 27 out of 50 athletes named by Newsday are Academy-trained athletes (more than half of all players named). Please see the list below for all of the althletes named by Newsday:
BOYS
- Trey Cole, Connetquot
- Timothy Drake, Massapequa
- Sammy Gibson, Long Beach
- Dan LaRosa, Sachem North
- Alec Lehnert, Sachem North
- Daniel Murphy, Smithtown East
- Conner Pallmann, Sachem North
- Jack Poplawski, Walt Whitman
- Ben Sandt, Northport
- Chris Scandole, Long Beach
- Chris Shanley, Smithtown West
- Troy VonHolt, Lindenhurst
To see the Newsday article (paywall), please click here.
GIRLS
- Daniella Balsano, Connetquot
- Julia Beckmann, Garden City
- Mia Cergol, Glenn
- Mackenzie Cole, Connetquot
- Cierra Dolan, Sachem East
- Caroline LaMacchia, South Side
- Nicole Migliozzi, Connetquot
- Cassandra Patsos, Connetquot
- Mackenzie Taylor, Connetquot
- Lauren Wilke, Bayport Blue-Point
- Ally Brady, Smithtown East
- Molly Jandris, Sachem East
- Grace Rosenberg, Long Beach
- Kathleen Doherty, Massapequa
- Nicole Karabaich, St. Anthony's
To see the Newsday article (paywall), please click here.
Cole Departs for Team USA Camp
Mackenzie Cole of the Girls 17 Red team will soon depart for the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO as one of 20 athletes invited to the USA Volleyball Youth National Training Team.
She is one of only two Liberos chosen to attend this camp and hopes to make the cut-down when the roster will be trimmed to 12. Those 12 will then travel to Rosario and Santa Fe, Argentina to compete in the 2017 FIVB Girls U18 World Championships.
Academy Volleyball would like to wish Mackenzie good luck on her journey and will be rooting for her success.
Mackenzie's story was recently picked up by Newsday. You can read it here (paywall).
Curaro/Beckmann Win Bronze Medal in 2017 USA Beach Volleyball Junior National Championships
Academy Volleyball would like to congratulateBoys 15 Red players John Curaro and Mark Beckmann for winning the 14U Bronze medal (3rd place overall) this week at the 2017 USA Beach Volleyball Junior National Championships in Siesta Key, Florida.
Despite being seeded 16th (out of 24 teams) at the start of the tournament, the boys were able to advance their position after a successful two days of pool play. The duo earned a spot in the single elimination, 12-team Gold bracket playoffs. The quarterfinal match was a nailbiting 22-20 come-from-behind win. The semi final match then put the team against the current top 14U team in the Country (two USA Beach Junior National team members). While Beckmann and Curaro played a great match, with many exciting plays, the experienced team from California/Florida went on to win the match and the tournament.
Beckmann and Curaro then faced a very strong team from Canada for third place overal - and the Bronze medal! Given this is only their second beach tournament playing together, this pair has a bright future ahead in beach volleyball!