By Five Boro Sports
Queens is traditionally the top volleyball borough, and Cardozo has held somewhat of a monopoly the last few years. This season, despite graduating four key starters, the Judges won their second straight PSAL city title.
Of course, Coach Danny Scarola’s squad isn’t the only good one in Queens. Bayside emerged this season and had one of its best seasons ever, earning the No. 5 seed and advancing to the PSAL quarterfinals. Beach Channel had one of the biggest upsets of the playoffs, beating Hunter College High School, and Bryant and Grover Cleveland won playoff matches.
QUEENS BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
OH Bonjun Koo, Cardozo
Koo was a role player last year during Cardozo’s run to a first PSAL city championship. This year, he was the Judges’ best player. Koo ripped 18 kills to lead the squad to a second straight title against McKee/Staten Island Tech. He had 100 kills, 48 digs and 30 aces in 12 regular-season matches and turned it up in the playoffs with 59 kills and 45 digs in five matches.
It wasn’t just his powerful swings and go-for-broke play on the court that helped Cardozo win. Scarola said he watched the video of the final again recently and all he saw was Koo patting teammates on the back and encouraging them. His leadership is what put the Judges over the top.
“We don’t win the city title without Bonjun,” Scarola said.
QUEENS BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
Danny Scarola, Cardozo
Was Cardozo the most talented team in New York City this season? Probably. But these Judges were completely different from the team that won the PSAL city championship in 2008. That version was middle-centric with monsters at the net like Randy Preval and Eric Barty. Opposite Sam Park was a jack of all trades and setter Joe Park (no relation) was the PSAL Wingate winner.
All four graduated and Scarola had to work with what was left, morphing them into a team with a completely new identity. These Judges worked off their excellent outsides, Bonjun Koo and Todd Gaugler, and had a new focus on defense, led by libero Kevin Ha. Stanley Martinez did an incredible job in his first season setting. Scarola was able to make it all work en route to a second straight title.
ALL-QUEENS FIRST TEAM
OH Piotrek Borkowski, Grover Cleveland
This was a transition year for Borkowski, who was relied upon for the first time as a leader. The junior was a setter for the Tigers when they went to the PSAL city title match in 2008 and the entire team had to get used to new Coach Daniel Lin. But Borkowski thrived, proving he is one of the top players in the city. He led Queens IV in kills (123) and was tops in the entire PSAL in aces (63). He also had 33 assists and 31 digs in 12 regular-season matches.
OH Todd Gaugler, Cardozo
In terms of athleticism and power, there wasn’t anyone better in the city. Gaugler, the PSAL Wingate Award winner, was just about unstoppable if given a good set at the net. His hits lived on the 10-foot line. Gaugler had 82 kills in 11 regular-season matches. In the playoffs, he had 48 kills and 19 digs in five matches.
OH Troy Gaugler, Bryant
The sophomore might have lost to brother Todd’s Cardozo team in the quarterfinals, but Troy certainly emerged out of his shadow. He had 87 kills, 32 digs and 24 aces in 11 regular-season matches. In two playoff contests, Troy had 30 kills, playing his best volleyball of the season. Coach Steve Hagenlocher said he could become one of the top players in the city.
L Kevin Ha, Cardozo
Ha could have moved to outside hitter this season. He has the power and the leaping ability to be one of the better outsides in the city. But because Cardozo had Bonjun Koo and Todd Gaugler, Ha stayed at libero, where he excelled for the Judges in their 2008 city title run. His unselfish nature was a boon for the team. Ha led Queens II in aces (31) and was second in digs (43).
MH Tony Koyfman, Bayside
At the start of the season, Koyfman’s name was probably least likely to be on this list. But the 6-foot-6 sophomore emerged as a force in the middle this season. He had 54 kills and 29 blocks in 11 regular-season matches after playing sparsely as a freshman. The future is bright for this prospect.
S Stanley Martinez, Cardozo
Martinez had huge shoes to fill this season. All his predecessor, Joe Park, did was win the PSAL Wingate Award and lead Cardozo to a PSAL city championship. Martinez had to step in as a first-year setter and take the reins of a team with a solid chance of repeating. He didn’t falter. The 6-foot-3 Martinez had 191 assists and 28 aces in 11 regular-season matches. He stepped it up even more in the playoffs, with 118 assists in five matches.
ALL-QUEENS HONORABLE MENTION
OH Allan De Campos, Newcomers
OH Ji Whan Choi, Academy of American Studies
OH Jeremy Grubler, Bayside
S Aaron Kim, Bryant
S Mikhail Nauth, Bayside
OH Matt Ng, Francis Lewis
L Ricky Uroza, Bryant
OH Terrence Sutton, Beach Channel
MH Przemek Walus, Grover Cleveland
S Slawomir Wloch, Beach Channel
