Academy Boys & Girls Compete at the Junior National Championships

Over the Fourth of July break, Academy teams competed in USA Volleyball’s Junior National Championships. The boys tournament was held in Dallas, while the girls were in Indianapolis. For Academy, the Boys 15, 16, and 18 Red teams and the Girls 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 Red teams competed in the tournament.

At nationals, our teams faced some of the best teams in the country and represented themselves and Academy with pride.

See below for some of the highlights from the 2019 Boys and Girls Junior National Championships.

Girls 12 Red is #DezyStrong at the 2019 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships!

Girls 14 Red are #SquadGoals

Boys 16 Red are braving the Texas heat!

Boys 18 Red keeping it classy as always.

Vin Diesel and “The Fast and Furious” have nothing on the Girls 15 Red at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Girls 16 Red are ready for business at Junior Nationals!

The Girls 17 Red are going places!

The Girls 17 Red are going places!

The Girls 17 Red are going places!

Double Trouble! Academy Girls 12 and 15 Red take on Nationals.

Boys 16 Red are celebrating because their future is bright!

Boys 15 Red are locked and loaded!

Boys 15 Red are ready to get it done!

Girls 14 Red getting ready for a great day at Nationals!

We will miss this talented and awesome group of seniors!

Girls 16 Red enjoy a treat while at Nationals in Indianapolis.

Girls 17 Red prepare to face a new opponent at Nationals.

Boys 16 Red at Nationals in Dallas, Texas

Girls 15 Red in Indy

Girls 16 Red

It’s a family affair for the Boys 18 Red.

Girls 14 Red are #DezyStrong at Nationals

Good luck to the Girls 16 Red - even though they don’t need any.

Last tournament for the Boys 18 Red, but will see you next year A-Trey/Trey-J (AJ & Trey)!

Boys 15 Red

Girls 17 Red ready for battle!

Watts and Cole Recognized by VolleyballMag.com

Academy Volleyball players Andrew Watts and Trey Cole have been recognized by VolleyballMag.com.

Andrew Watts, a Senior and a Penn State commit, was named in Volleyball Mag’s “Fab 50” list players coming out of high school.

Trey Cole, a Junior and a Pepperdine commit, was named to Volleyball Mag’s “Top 25 Underclassmen to Watch” list.

Both the “Fab 50” and the “Top 25” lists are voted on by a committee of top NCAA D I and II coaches.

Both Andrew and Trey currently play for Academy’s Boys 18 Red team and are preparing for the Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas, TX. Academy Volleyball is proud of Andrew and Trey’s recognition and look forward to watching them continue to grow.

To read the full lists, please click here.

Mayerson Earns 2019 AVCA GEVA Coach of the Year Honors!

IMG_3194.jpeg

On behalf of all of us at Academy Volleyball, please join us in congratulating Girls 18 Red Head Coach, Dave Mayerson, as he was named the 2019 American Volleyball Coaching Association’s GEVA Girls Head Coach of the Year.

We’re extremely proud of the job that Coach Mayerson has done this year guiding the Girls 18 Red to a 3rd place overall finish in the open division at the Capitol Hill Classic (one of the most massive girls tournaments in the country), winning the Girls 18 GEVA Region, and earning a bid to the 2019 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships.


Girls+Coach+of+the+Year.jpg

Coach Mayerson was presented with his award at the most recent GEVA member meeting.

Please join us all in congratulating Coach Mayerson on this outstanding achievement.

Congratulations Coach!

Academy Alumni Win Men's Volleyball D-III National Championship!

On Saturday April 27, 2019, six Academy Volleyball alumni became NCAA National Champions as the SUNY New Paltz Hawks defeated UC Santa Cruz in 4 sets at Harwood Arena in Union, NJ.

Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate the following alumni on their outstanding achievement:

  • Matthew Grace

  • Robert Nolan

  • Bryan Kaplan

  • Chris Shanley

  • Dan LaRosa

  • Tim Drake

For more information on their NCAA Championship, please click here.

Academy Teams Earn Bids to USA Volleyball's National Championships!

2019 has been a great year for Academy Volleyball teams. We’ve had multiple teams earn bids to USA Volleyball’s National Championship Boys and Girls tournaments.

On the girls side, we’ve had the most number of teams compete in the GEVA Power League that we’ve ever had before.

It’s been a truly outstanding year at Academy - the boys have one more tournament to go on Memorial Day weekend before all bid-winning teams focus on Nationals. See below for all teams who will compete in the Junior National Championships.

BOYS

18 Red_California.jpg

Boys 18 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Dallas TX

IMG_1301 copy.jpg

Boys 16 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Dallas TX

15s.JPG

Boys 15 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Dallas TX

GIRLS

Photo Apr 28, 8 03 27 AM.jpg

Girls 18 Red

Competed in the Girls Junior National Championships in Dallas, TX

IMG_3605.jpg

Girls 17 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Indianapolis, IN

Photo May 05, 7 28 37 PM.jpg

Girls 16 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Indianapolis, IN

Photo May 04, 6 38 28 PM.jpg

Girls 15 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Indianapolis, IN

IMG_0393.jpg

Girls 14 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Indianapolis, IN

Girls 12 RED BID.jpg

Girls 12 Red

USA Volleyball National Championships, Indianapolis, IN

Get Well Soon Kevin!

From all of us at Academy Volleyball, we would like to wish boys 14 Red player, Kevin Hanson, a speedy recovery. At a recent practice, Kevin had a sudden and serious medical incident (unrelated to volleyball) and is now recovering. We are with Kevin 100% and are hoping to see him back as soon as he is ready.

Additionally, all of us at Academy Volleyball would like to send our deepest gratitude and appreciation to those coaches and parents who rushed to Kevin’s aid. All those involved kept calm, acted quickly, and worked as a team to help a player and family in need.

We are beyond excited to report that Kevin is doing well and recovering from this incident – and we are beaming with pride in our heroic coaches and parents who were on the scene to help, specifically:

  • Coach Rob Regan

  • Coach Matthew DiStefano

  • Coach Bill Kropp

  • Parent Maria Lehnert

  • Parent Christine Sanchez

  • Parent Craig Moore

  • Parent Wayne Beckmann

But it’s not just all of us at Academy who are sending their wishes for a speedy recovery. We are humbled and honored at the outpouring of support from the sports and entertainment world who have sent their well wishes to Kevin. Please watch this video below to see who else has a direct message for Kevin:

Cergol, Driscoll, and Rivera Earn Newsday Honors

Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate Mia Cergol, Jack Driscoll, and Matt Rivera on the special honors they received by the Newsday sports writers. Driscoll was named the Long Island Player of the Year for boys varsity volleyball. Cergol took home Suffolk County Girls Varsity Volleyball Player of the Year and Rivera was named the Suffolk County Boys Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Please join us in congratulating all three on their well-deserved honors.

See below for more:

Jack Driscoll, Long Island Player of the Year

“Jack has been the cornerstone of our program over the last three years," Sachem North coach Matt Rivera said. "His mix of athleticism and intellect make him a truly special player. As a senior his leadership and grit were essential to this team's success."

Cergol_Mia_Bryant.jpg

Mia Cergol, Suffolk County Player of the Year

"An all-around athlete," Tremaroli said. "She's great to work with. She's a great leader, and she plays with her heart."

Rivera.jpg

Matt Rivera, Suffolk County Coach of the Year

With Rivera at the helm, Sachem North finished as the state Division I runner-up after a 3-1 loss to Fairport in Albany. The Flaming Arrows were undefeated entering the match and finished the season with an overall mark of 18-1.

Academy Players Selected to All-Long Island Team By Newsday

Academy Volleyball is extremely proud to announce its players who were selected to the All-Long Island teams by the Newsday high school sports writers. Please join us in congratulating all those selected for this honor. See the list of Newsday selections below (to read the article, please see both the boys and girls sections):

BOYS, First Team

Boys_Newsday.jpg

  • Jack Driscoll, Sachem North & Academy 18 Red

  • AJ Fitzgerald, Sachem North & Academy 18 Red

  • Trey Cole, Connetquot & Academy 18 Red

  • Matt Wertheim, Smithtown East & Academy 18 Red

  • Will Kropp, Eastport South Manor & Academy 18 Red

  • Josh George, Ward Melville & Academy 18 Red

  • Andrew Watts, Northport & Academy 18 Red

  • Pat Wing, Massapequa & Academy 18 Red

  • Matthew Rivera, HC of Sachem North, HC of 15 Red, Academy Director

GIRLS, All-Long Island

Girls_Newsday.jpg

  • Mia Cergol, John Glenn & Academy 18 Red

  • Emily Barry, Sacred Heart & Academy 18 Red

  • Molly Jandris, Sachem East & Academy 18 Red

  • Caroline LaMacchia, South Side & Academy 18 Red

  • Diana Migliozzi, Connetquot & Academy 17 Red

  • Ally DeGaray, Whitman & Academy 18 Red

  • Olivia Dejesus, Sacred Heart & Academy 18 Red

  • Kayla Rende, Wantagh & Academy 18 Red

  • Kiarra Roth, Connetquot & Academy 17 Red

  • Sally Tietjen, Smithtown West & Academy 16 Red

  • Kathleen Verastegui, Long Beach & Academy 18 Red

Wantagh Girls are Class A NYS Champions!

Academy Volleyball would like to congratulate the Wantagh Girls Varsity Volleyball Program on winning the New York State Championship for Class A schools.

The girls traveled to Glens Falls, NY to compete in the New York State Championship Tournament where they defeated Niagra Wheatfield High School in five sets ( 23-25, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 28-26).

Academy Volleyball would like to acknowledge the following Academy athletes who competed for Wantagh:

  • Kayla Rende

  • Katie Steele

  • Julia Pugliese