THIRD TIME COULD BE THE CHARM FOR GILMAN VOLLEYBALL

After two straight dominating seasons have ended in heartbreak at the MIAA A Conference Championship Match, the Gilman volleyball team is making another strong run at the elusive title.

	by Alejandro Danois The Gilman volleyball program has compiled an impressive record of 35-4 over the past two seasons. They appeared in the MIAA A Conference championship game in both 2005 and 2006 and, once again, appear to be strong contenders for this yearâ??s title. Head coach Neil Gabbey, who has coached at Gilman since the programâ??s inception five years ago, has heard the annoying whispers from those who call the Greyhounds perennial bridesmaids. He finds it absurd for someone to assert that his team, which finished 17-1 and reached the league championship two years in a row, is anything but a qualified success. â??In 2005, we overachieved and last year we were the odds on favorite but Mount St. Joe played better than we did in the title game and we wound up losing our second straight championship,â? said Gabbey. â??If we consistently come up one game short and people say we canâ??t win the big one, thatâ??s fine. I absolutely love my kids, our program and the relationships we have.â? The Greyhounds graduated three starters, but brought up four players from the perennially strong junior varsity team. Early into this season, the team has raced out to a 7-0 overall record without surrendering a game, including a 3-0 sweep of rival Loyola, last night. â??Iâ??m expecting our team to play at a certain level this year, no matter who our competition is, because of the talent and experience we have all over the court,â? said Gabbey. Opposing coaches will be hard pressed to locate a glaring weakness in this yearâ??s team. The Greyhounds are deep at outside hitter, middle blocking and back line defense.
Because Gilman head coach Neil Gabbey has so many other weapons, opponents can no longer exclusively game plan around senior All-MIAA performer Idy Iglehart (above), who is considered the league’s top middle hitter.  (Photo by John Strohsacker, CharmCityPhotos.com)

â??One of our strengths is our serve/receive, weâ??re off to a great start and our goal is to finally win a championship,â? said Kevin Niparko, a senior captain. â??We have so many options. Every rotation, we have three guys who are great hitters with power and our passing is always there in the back row. The enthusiasm that coach Gabbey brings to practice every day has incited a love for the game in us that wasnâ??t even imaginable four years ago when we entered high school.â?

Senior Jeff Irwin, a 6-foot-3, third year varsity player, quickly answered the teamâ??s lone question of who would assume the role of setter. Irwin, who started as a sophomore at middle hitter and last year hit opposite, is leading the team in assists.

â??This year I told Jeff that I had turn him into the setter because he was already hitting opposite and weâ??re still going to run a 6-2,â? said Gabbey. â??Heâ??s played varsity basketball since he was a sophomore and heâ??s got great hands. I told him, â??Youâ??ve got the best hands and I know you can pick it upâ?? and Jeff turned himself into a setter this summer.â?

Niparko and Ed Wiese are also returning for their third year on the Greyhound varsity.

Niparko, a 6-foot-2 senior, played middle back last year and anchored the teamâ??s serve/receive. He also played a little in the front row at middle and opposite and started as a sophomore strictly in the back row. Niparko leads the team in receive percentage, converting 97% of receives that are settable.

â??Kevin really responded to the challenge of wanting to play all the way around this year,â? said Gabbey. â??Heâ??s one of the best defensive players in the league and leads us in serve/receive, digs and anchors the back line.â?

The team is known for their defensive calls during the game, with the middle back barking out the strategic adjustments. Niparko has increased his vertical jump since last year and, in addition to his strong back line play, is adept in the front row, middle blocking at the net.

â??Kevinâ??s improved his offense so heâ??s a weapon in the front row and not just there playing defense,â? said Gabbey.

Wiese is starting at outside hitter for the second year in a row. The senior, who averages two kills per game, possesses excellent leaping ability and teams with junior Asher Kaplan, who works as outside hitter #2.

â??Ed is one of the most dominant outside hitters Iâ??ve ever seen,â? said Niparko. â??He has a phenomenal serve, is a great passer and his athleticism stands out.â?

â??Eddie and Asher are both only 5-foot-11, but youâ??d never know it when weâ??re running things and theyâ??re hitting outside,â? said Gabbey. â??We get a lot of offense from them. Ed has ridiculous hops to go along with beautiful footwork and timing with the ball.â?

Idy Iglehart, a 6-foot-4 senior, regarded as the leagueâ??s top middle hitter, was an All-Conference selection last year. He currently leads the squad in roof blocks, which are straight blocks for points.

â??Idy is a great blocker who can throw the ball down,â? said Niparko. â??Heâ??s dangerous in the middle.â?
    
In addition to the senior leadership, experience and talent, thereâ??s a junior laden front line â??Bâ? team that stands 6-foot-3 and better.

â??Every single day in practice, the kids who are our subs **** themselves to win points and games and they do beat our starters quite often,â? said Gabbey. â??I keep smiling because we can put a second team out there that can beat our first team. And our first team might be the best team in the league this year.â?

Last year, teams were able to game plan around the Greyhounds propensity to go to Iglehart in the middle. Theyâ??d try to take advantage during rotations when Iglehart was out of the game or in the back row.

â??This year, we really donâ??t have that situation because both outside hitters are equally strong and experienced and both middle hitters are no slouch,â? said Gabbey. â??Weâ??re getting our timing down so teams canâ??t camp out on Idy. Weâ??re moving him around, moving him to opposite, running slides, mixing it up by bringing our outside hitter in and running our middles outside.â?

Against Calvert Hall earlier this season, Iglehart had 9 kills while Wiese chipped in 12. Iglehart consistently screamed for the ball, drawing double teams from the Cardinals defense, freeing up Weise from the outside.

If Gilman can ultimately win the championship that has eluded them over the past two years, the dream will indeed have a happy ending.

Gilman’s 2007 roster is 14 men deep and practices are spirited, with the second unit frequently challenging and even beating the first group.  This competitive environment has carried over into the matches, as the Greyhounds go hard after every point.  Above, Ryan Motevalli-Oliner lays out in an attempt to dig a ball in a match with Calvert Hall.  (Photo by John Strohsacker, CharmCityPhotos.com)