Even though the 2015 boy’s volleyball season included two milestones for the program, it did not end the way head coach Robert Spier hoped it would. With 2016 in front of them, boy’s volleyball working towards a turnaround season.
The 2015 season was the 10th in program history for the Pirates. In a match against Camden early in May the Pirates recorded the 200th victory in program history.
Cinnaminson finished with a record of 16-18, but Spier was happy with how his players adjusted to new positions and playing on varsity for the first time.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids this year, which is great. We only have two seniors that have been on the team for four years and one junior who has been on the team for three years now,” Spier said.
“We have a big onslaught of freshman and sophomores. They are going to pull us back to where we were before. The juniors and seniors we have are giving us everything they have. This year’s team can still surpass last year’s team. We have a lot of talent this year that can do really well.”
Spier said a main focus of the preseason has been building team chemistry both on and off the volleyball court.
“In volleyball, if you play as a team, you will be successful. You can’t depend on one person in volleyball. In volleyball you need to play as a team,” Spier said.
“You need a good passer. You need a good setter. You need a good hitter. You need to use those three hits. You can’t get away from one hit every single time. Once you come together as a team, you will know where everybody else is and be able to play more solidly as a team. My first concern was camaraderie.”
As we look ahead to what the 2016 season will bring, the Pirates prepare to open the new schedule with a home game against Collingswood this afternoon at 3:45pm.
The Pirates will once again take part in the Backyard Brawl, looking to reclaim the crown. The Backyard Brawl is a competition between Cinnaminson, Moorestown and Pennsauken that was created by Spier years ago.
“It’s going to be a dogfight. Pennsauken is going to be the team to beat. If we get all our guys together, we can make it fun,” Spier said.
“It makes it more exciting that we play Moorestown and Pennsauken so much during the regular season. It’s a lot of fun because they’re both five minutes away. We don’t have long trips for high-intensity games.”
Aside from Moorestown, Pennsauken and Collingswood; the Pirates will take on Sterling, Kingsway, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Woodrow Wilson and Hunterdon Central to name a few.
“They can see this is what we have to get to, what we want to get to,” Spier said. “They know that these top teams aren’t so much better than us that we’re never gonna get there. We can play with them.”
“By seeing these upper-level teams they know they can play with them. We may have a couple more losses on the schedule, but those losses become important when it’s playoff time. When you play the best teams and lose, you learn more than playing a team and winning 25-7 that can’t even return a ball.”
The road back to the playoffs will not be easy, especially with four new players appearing on the varsity court for the first time this year. The Pirates return Pat McCarthy, Ryan Fisher and Eddie Choe from the starting lineup last year.
Boy’s volleyball begins the 2016 season today at Cinnaminson Middle School against Collingswood. Cinn City Sports will have coverage of the match beginning at 3:45pm. Follow along on Twitter for live updates.
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