Fall sports sneak peak

Aaron Waldman, Sports Editor

Girls Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Cindy Zhang: 

Girls varsity volleyball head coach Cindy Zhang began building the foundation for the girls volleyball team last season. The team’s goal this season is to have a winning record and hopefully make it far into the playoffs. Zhang hopes to place a big emphasis on passing with good fundamentals and running an offense in order to reach that goal. “I’m really excited to build on what they learned last year. We have a lot of returners and then we also have a lot of really good new talent,” Zhang said. “… It’s gonna be a very exciting year for volleyball.”

Boys Varsity Soccer Head Coach Kevin Gnatiko: 

Kevin Gnatiko will step into the head coaching position for boys varsity soccer this year. He hopes to win a championship and improve every player’s technical and athletic skills by the end of the season. Gnatiko takes hard work seriously and he wants the team to be the best versions of themselves. “It’s about that culture where everyone is going to come out and give a hundred percent,” Gnatiko said. “They play for each other.”

Girls Varsity Soccer Head Coach Paul Simonetti: 

After the girls varsity soccer team finished in first place during the regular season but falling short in the playoffs last year, girls varsity soccer head coach Paul Simonetti wants to win it all this season. Because the team lost only one senior last season, much of the team is equipped with the necessary experience to hopefully succeed again. Simonetti said that the area needing the most improvement is skill development, since they already have a great team environment. “The attitude of our players is just fantastic,” Simonetti said. “They’re great team players. They’re great teammates. They support one another.”

Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach Alex Kirsch:

Eager to rebuild the girls tennis program, first year coach Alex Kirsch is ready to get started.  His recipe for of success is when there is skill improvement, excited players and a positive atmosphere. Kirsch is especially ready to express his style of play to the players and foster good relationships with them. “We want to create a lot of trust, which for me is going to be a big thing,” Kirsch said.

Cross Country Head Coach Jason Belinkie: 

Cross country head coach Jason Belinkie has high expectations for the fall 2022 season. Both the girls and the boys teams are working towards winning both a PVAC championship and a state championship. This past summer, Belinkie ensured that runners stay in good shape for the fall season by encouraging them to run and do various  workouts on their own. One of Belinkie’s main concerns is whether the younger members will be able to meet the expectations of a high school level team. “We have a great combination of senior leadership and young potential,” Belinkie said. “We have some really, really talented and passionate people that are coming up … Then we have people who are seniors or juniors that have been doing this for a while, and we don’t usually have that combination.”