Varsity Finishes the Year with a 15-0 Record and the NSCHSAA League Championship

Kieran Rafferty ’23

This year’s Chaminade High School varsity volleyball team left a lasting legacy as they achieved an undefeated season of 15-0 and clinched the league championship.

From the outset, the coaches understood that they had to build upon last year’s undefeated season. The team faced immediate adversity, however, due to the absence of star player Benjamin Grindel ’22, who was out for the season due to an ACL and meniscus tear. Soon after, Chaminade lost another valuable contributor when starter Ryan Farrell ‘22 sprained his ankle and was out for four weeks.

These setbacks, however, did not put a damper on the morale of the team. Head coach Mr. Salvatore Trentacoste said, “It looked like we would have a difficult road, but with the players remaining we tackled the season with full steam ahead. The team showed a great deal of depth with their skill level and we were able to continue our run from last year of not only winning matches but doing so in three-set sweeps.”

When players come together to develop their strengths and weaknesses, the team’s overall performance benefits. Not only does volleyball rely on strength and power, but it heavily relies on communication with teammates. This chemistry between teammates can make or break the team’s overall performance.

Player Anthony Bellone ’23 stated, “From the beginning of the season we all knew that our goal was to become league champs again. All of our practices, non-league scrimmages, and extra work were geared toward this goal—and in the end, it all paid off.”

Due to their hard work and determination , the team finished 12-0 before beginning to prepare for the championships. As part of that preparation, the team took on Francis Lewis High School, winning in three sets. In the playoffs, the team continued its winning ways, defeating Kellenberg High School in three sets and then beating St. John the Baptist High School to finish the season with a perfect record.

With a successful season comes many well-deserved awards. Flyers volleyball the league Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes the good nature of Chaminade men and athletes throughout this season.

Another accomplishment was the selection of four Chaminade players to the all-league team. These players were Gavin Daly ’22, John Dossie ’22, Logan Iacobazzi ’22, and Peter Vanikiotis ’22. The league MVP was Ryan Farrell ’22 and the championship match MVP was Logan Iacobazzi ’22.

Though the 2022 season has concluded, there remains a desire for success in the seasons to come. Crucial to a team’s development is a good learning environment where players can teach their volleyball skills to others. Trentacoste said, “This team had great depth and I hope to have the returning players continue their strong team spirit and pass their skills to a new group of players.”

Bellone reflected, “With our seniors and best players graduating next year, we have big shoes to fill. We will need some key underclassmen to step up, but in the end, the same level of play will be expected from all of us.” Congratulations to the Chaminade volleyball team on a very successful season!