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2024

Team of Distinction

2005 Boys’ Volleyball New York State Champions

The 2005 Volleyball team followed the same blueprint as previous teams, however, this team started the year off with a chip on their shoulder; How could you compete for the Class A division or a NYS championship, when you graduate 4 All-WNY players, another starter, and very few of your players returning to familiar positions?  This was Coach Carroll’s dilemma for 2005, was trying to reload without regressing. The reload started before the season, with Coach Carroll making several key decisions to not only compete but to dominate the competition again in 2005.

First, he replaced graduating 6”4” All-WNY setter, David Hatten, with 2004 Libero, Colin Murtha. Despite Murtha not having the same height as Hatten, Colin proved to be up to the task. Second, Coach Carroll had to replace his All-WNY left side, Jeff Hartman. His spot was filled by Nikolaj Prychodko, who was now a co-captain on the 2005 team, after being All-WNY, and key member of last year’s championship team. While these pieces fit nicely, there were now gaps that needed to be filled in the middle of the starting lineup, where Johnsen and Prychodko had played on the 2004 team. Coach Carroll was able to insert Michael Jackson and Brian Charles to fill these critical positions. Next, he used Rusty Gardner, who was a key element in the 2004’s success, brilliantly as the X factor, “Jack Knife”, and replaced Colin Murtha’s libero position, with capable Dan Jackson. The lone holdover from the 2004 team, who was the only starter to maintain their current position, was now Co-Captain, Patrick Abulone. Despite the completely revamped lineup, the goal of the 2005 season was clear; Go undefeated because our starting lineup had talent across the court. That, however, would not be the case, as the Purple and White suffered a deflating loss to Orchard Park at the opening Clarence tourney. “Tough situations reveal and build character”, as the Bulldogs did not lose a tourney the rest of the year. Hamburg again sailed through the Section VI playoffs, with a date to seek revenge against Orchard Park and decide who were the Section VI champions.  The 2005 Quakers squad was stacked, with three players who went on to play volleyball collegiately at the Division I level.  Despite the hostile environment of this formidably opponent, Hamburg prevailed 3 sets to 1, in front of one of the largest crowds to ever witness a high school volleyball match in WNY! It was again on the State Final pool play seedings, this time, Hamburg was seeded #1 and McQuaid Jesuit was seeded #2. After dropping the first set, and down a quick 5-0 in the second set, Hamburg came from behind to defeated McQuaid 3 sets to 1.   Hamburg Volleyball had gone back-to-back as NYS Class A champions! They finished the year with a final record: 31-3, winning 70 match sets and only lost 12 total sets all season.  After-season accolades went to Nikolaj Prychodko and Patrick Abulone, as All-WNY, and were joined by Rusty Gardner, on the All-State Tournament Team, with Prychodko winning Tournament MVP.