2021's Top 10 Boys Long Island Volleyball Players To Watch This Season

1. Dan Shanley

Position: Outside/Setter

School: Smithtown West High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 18’s

Height: 6’1

Awards/Accomplishments

Rookie of the year/All Division (8th Grade)

3x All County

Suffolk County Champion (Spring 2021)

Suffolk POY 2020

Getting to Know Dan

Pump up song: 6foot 7foot by Lil Wayne

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Eli Manning

Advice for younger athletes: "Outwork your competition and take care of the little things"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Dezy & Coach Sanchez

Strengths: IQ, Defense, Setting

Who do you want to face in Counties? "Don't care who we play, if we get there"

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Jaron Popp (Ward Melville)

2. Dan Haber

Position: Outside Hitter

School: Westhampton Beach High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 18’s

Height: 6'6

Awards/Accomplishments

2x All County

1x County Champion

1x Long Island Champion

1x All Long Island Player

Getting to Know Dan

Pump up song: Breaking Bad by Sleepy Hollow

All-Time Favorite Athlete: PK Subban

Advice for younger athletes: "Trust the process, don't give up if the game gets tough."

Most Influential Coach: Coach Chris Barton

Who do you want to face in Counties/LIC? ESM & Massapequa

Strengths:

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Adam Bender (Smithtown West)

3. Jake DesLauriers

Position: Outside Hitter

School: Eastport South Manor High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 18’s

Height: 6’0

Awards/Accomplishments

Rookie of the year

2x All County

Suffolk County Champion (Spring 2021)

Getting to Know Jake

Pump up song: Going Bad by Meek Mill

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Derek Jeter

Advice for younger Athletes: "Take advantage of what you're doing now because time flies and before you know it, it will be gone"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Dave Wood

Strengths: Volleyball IQ

Who do you want to face in Counties/LIC? Westhampton Beach & Calhoun

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? John Matthews

4. Luke MacPherson

Position: Outside/Opposite

School: Sachem North High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 18’s

Height: 6’2

Awards/Accomplishments

1x Suffolk County Champ

1x Long Island Champ

1x All County

Getting to Know Luke

Pump up song: Holy Smokes by Trippie Redd & Lil Uzi Vert

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Michael Jordan

Advice for younger Athletes: "Work your hardest always and never give up on yourself or anyone on your team"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Rivera

Strengths: Hitting, Serving & Leadership

Who do you want to face in Counties? "My team will be ready for anyone when the time comes"

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Joe and Glenn Ganderillas (Sachem East)

5. Tyler Phillips

Position: Outside Hitter

School: Walt Whitman High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 18’s

Height: 6’5

Awards/Accomplishments

1x All Division

Getting to Know Tyler

Pump up song: Can't Hold Us by Macklemore

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Kobe Bryant

Advice for younger Athletes: "Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is how you learn and get better at anything you are trying to accomplish"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Kropp

Strengths: Leadership

Who do you want to face in Counties? Connetquot

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Joe and Glenn Ganderillas (Sachem East)

6. Zackary Zdrojeski

Position: Outside/Opposite

School: Northport High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball

Height: 6’2

Awards/Accomplishments

2018 Rookie of the Year

3x All County

2x All Tournament

Getting to Know Zackary

Pump up song: 20 min by Lil Uzi Vert

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Bartolo Colon

Advice for younger Athletes: "Always focus on technique first, it will help in the long run"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Tom Wixted

Strengths: Volleyball IQ & Passing

Who do you want to face in Counties/LIC? Smithtown West & Massapequa

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Jake Zaro (Northport)

7. Christian Herr

Position: Setter/Opposite

School: Eastport South Manor High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball

Height: 6’3

Awards/Accomplishments

1x All Division

1x All County

1x All County Tournament Team

1x Long Island County Champion

Getting to Know Christian

Pump up song: Carry on by Fun.

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Jeremy Lin

Advice for younger Athletes: "Check out PME on TikTok and Instagram for all sorts of volleyball tips and tricks"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Bill Kropp

Strengths: Setting, Hitting & Volleyball IQ

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Tyler Phillips (Walt Whitman)

8. Ben Lillie

Position: Middle Blocker

School: Connetquot High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball

Height: 6’4

Awards/Accomplishments

GEVA Regional Team

1x All County

Getting to Know Ben

Pump up song: Famous by 21 Savage

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Daenan Gyimah

Advice for younger Athletes: "Make every touch count"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Bill Kropp

Strengths: Hitting

Who do you want to face in the LIC? Massapequa

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Mark Porcelli (ESM)

9. Hank Foglia

Position: Middle Blocker

School: Eastport South Manor High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball

Height: 6’5

Awards/Accomplishments

Long Island Champion (Spring 2021)

Getting to Know Hank

Pump up song: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Bol Bol

Advice for younger Athletes: "You want to always learn more and don't get your setter mad"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Bill Kropp

Strengths: Hitting & Blocking

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Westhampton Beach & Calhoun

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Mark Porcelli (ESM)

10. Jack Schiffl

Position: Outside Hitter

School: Massapequa High School Class of 2023

Uncommitted

Club: Sportime VBC

Height: 5'11

Awards/Accomplishments

2x Nassau County Champion

Getting to Know Jack

Pump up song: Thunderstruck by AC/DC

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Shaq

Advice for younger Athletes: My advice for younger athletes is to always work hard no matter who is watching and to always have a goal or a purpose when u practice, every rep should be a good one.

Most Influential Coach: Coach Elissa Disalvo

Strengths: Setting & Serving

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Port Washington

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Patrick Radomski

Honorable Mentions

Alex Kimak

Position: Outside Hitter

East Meadow High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Sportime VBC 18-1

Height: 5'11

Getting to Know Alex

Pump up song: No Role Modelz by J Cole

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Kobe Bryant

Advice for younger Athletes: "Have as much fun with the sport as you can, when you enjoy and are passionate about what you do, you will naturally become more competitive and more talented"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Alex Adelman

Strengths: Leadership

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Massapequa & Sachem North

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Dan Shanley and Dan Haber

Mike Golaszewski

Position: Middle Blocker

School: Lindenhurst High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: LIVBC

Height: 6'5

Awards/Accomplishments

All County

Getting to Know Mike

Pump up song: 2055 by Sleepy Hallow

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Robert Lewandowski

Advice for younger Athletes: "Stay committed and work hard"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Stacie, Tom & Barton

Strengths: Hitting & Blocking

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Smithtown West

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Chris Sarnicola (Lindenhurst)

Dom Ruggiero

Position: Setter

School: Connetquot High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 17 Red

Height: 5'7

Awards/Accomplishments

All Division

Getting to Know Dom

Pump up song: Back in Blood by Pooh Shiesty ft. Lil Durk

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Kobe Bryant

Advice for younger Athletes: "Trust the process and always keep your head up, even on bad days"

Most Influential Coach: Coach Bill Kropp

Strengths: Setting & Serving

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Sachem North & Massapequa

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Mark Porcelli (ESM)

Owen Price

Position: Libero

School: Bay Shore High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Academy Volleyball 17 Red

Height: 6'

Getting to Know Owen

Pump up song: Who I Smoke by FastMoney Goon

All-Time Favorite Athlete: TJ Watt

Advice for younger Athletes: "Stick to the fundamentals and put the cream back in volleyball"

Most Influential Coach: Mark Lane

Strengths: Leadership

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Lindenhurst & Massapequa

Which LI Player do you think will have a Breakout Season? Andrew Danowski (Bay Shore)

Davidson Claros

Position: Outside Hitter

School: Lawrence High School Class of 2022

Uncommitted

Club: Sportime VBC

Height: 6'3

Getting to Know Davidson

Pump up song: Metro Plex by Robert Sheldon

All-Time Favorite Athlete: Leon Messi

Advice for younger Athletes: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Most Influential Coach: Coach Kevin Nardone

Strengths: Volleyball IQ

Who do you want to face in Counties/ LIC? Massapequa & Sachem North