By Aidan Heafy ‘25
Don Bosco’s Varsity Volleyball team has gotten used to what it feels like to lose. Now, they’re poised to make their biggest splash in years.
The program has been, to put it bluntly, in a bit of a down period for the past few seasons. Last year was the second straight season that the team won under 5 games, going 4-14 in 2023 and 2-15 in 2024. Since then, further coach turnaround and changes in the staff and roster have put more pressure on the team, not only to win, but to find an identity. Head Coach Sam Park has repeatedly identified and emphasized the need for a “rebuilding” of the team and its culture from the ground up. And while that goal seems far away, the program has the personnel to start making real progress.
This year’s team is mostly comprised of Seniors and Juniors, returning players who have dealt with many of the struggles and growing pains the program has experienced in their time there. They want to finish the year, of course, with a winning record. But, more importantly, they want to leave behind a legacy and a lasting impact on the program’s identity and goals. The entire team has committed itself to rebranding the program and its players, both on and off the court; it’s a significant and noticeable change that everyone on the team has been sensing from one another since the end of last season.
Players have been putting the work in to achieve this goal over the past months, well before official tryouts or practices began. The team members have spent the year so far improving their skills in any way they can, through trips to volleyball gyms and academies, late night practices, and independent work to improve their conditioning. It’s a result of an acknowledgement from every member of the team: We don’t want another season like last year.
It’s that work that has put Bosco Varsity Volleyball in, perhaps, their best position in years to truly compete amongst their peers. Every player is on the same level of understanding that, without everyone working together to achieve that goal, it won’t be possible. Their agreement as brothers, and as a team, has put them in the spot they are now.
Bosco plays some undeniably tough opponents on the road to achieve that goal. The Ironmen have multiple games scheduled against their traditional rivals in Bergen Catholic and newer foes in Bergenfield and Ramapo. It wouldn’t be unjustified to worry about the team’s readiness to compete, especially considering the result of last season. The players themselves don’t want that idea to define them, and they’re ready to work to change that narrative. During the team’s first day of tryouts, I asked Robbie Elko, a Senior and Captain on the Varsity team, about the growth he’s noticed on the court and amongst his teammates, as well as the expectations he has for the year:
What do you think the biggest difference is between last season and this season? What specifically puts you in a better position to win?
“There’s a lot of differences between this year and last year, but, ironically, I think what will make the biggest difference will be what has stayed the same,” Robbie told me. “We’re a team that’s been together for three years now, and I can confidently say that our cohesion and our consistency has been our foundation going into this season. As opposed to other years, we aren’t just a group of guys; we’re a team, with a singular motivation, purpose, and drive.”
The other Captains echo that same message to the rest of the team. Everyone is motivated to make it work no matter what challenges come their way. They aren’t sulking on last year’s outcome. Instead, they’re using it as their primary motivation to win and succeed as a group.
Every player knows that turning around a 2-15 team in one year is going to be difficult, but no one is shying away from the job. Don Bosco Volleyball is all in, and they’re ready to start showing the world what they want to do.
