Gulls Ready for 2006 Campaign
Jan. 9, 2006
Anchored by a talented sophomore class, the Endicott men's volleyball team will look to capture its first NECVA title. The Gulls earned their highest winning percentage in program history in 2005, finishing with an overall record of 20-10 (.667) and made their second consecutive ECAC Tournament appearance.
Head coach Tim Byram, who enters his sixth season, put together a tough non-league schedule to go along with a rigorous NECVA campaign. The Gulls open at home versus Sacred Heart on January 14 (1:00 PM) and will make trips to New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina before hosting the 12-team NECVA Playoffs beginning March 31. Also, Endicott will host the Endicott March Mania Invitational March 4 and 5.
Seniors Eric Hunter (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem) and Mike Coflesky (Royalston, MA/Athol) are the only two seniors on the roster and will captain the 2006 squad. They will provide the veteran foundation for a young but talented team. Each player was a consistent force for the Gulls from the outside last season. Prior to his season ending injury, Coflesky created matchup problems for most teams that helped him set personal bests in numerous categories while Hunter used his exceptional ball control to anchor the team's serve receive and was a spark on defense.
Junior George Chapell (Haverhill, MA/Haverhill) earned a starting spot last season and will be a consistent force at the net. Fellow junior Matt Keepin (Harwinton, CT/Lewis S. Mills) joined the program last year and provided some spark on offense and depth at the opposite spot.
The sophomore class showed why the future continues to look bright for the program. Jeremy Hamel (Industry, ME/Mount Blue) earned the starting setting spot before his season ending ankle injury forced him to the sidelines. Cory Merrill (Peru, ME/ Peru) and Allan DelValle (Billerica, MA/ Billerica) each played significant defensive rolls and added some ball control in serve receive. Tim Lyons (Haverhill, MA/ Haverhill) provided depth and versatility on the bench, picking up some time in the middle.
Byram is hoping to get some impact out of freshman Clay Ostrander (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton) and Dan Coleman (Millis, MA/Millis). Ostrander won back-to-back state titles in Illinois while Coleman led Millis High to consecutive state final appearances.
"We are a young team, but we have a lot of talent," said Byram. "We're as deep as we've ever been in some areas. I think we can improve upon last year's finish and have the postseason at our court is a big advantage."
Endicott cracked the top ten of the ACVA Poll for the first time ever, peaking at No. 9 before injuries and illness forced the Gulls to finish the season No. 14 in the nation.
Endicott went 3-1 against NCAA Division I and II schools, which included the Gulls scoring their first wins over Sacred Heart and the University of New Haven. The team also placed third in the Endicott March Mania Invitational. Over that weekend EC defeated JWU and Ramapo in pool play, lost to SUNY New Paltz in the Gold Semifinal and then defeated D'Youville in the final match to place third in the 12-team invitational.