A Bayside volleyball coach earned his 200th victory last week, surpassing a retired coach’s previously held record.
The Queensborough Community College Lady Tigers and head coach Jason Demas beat Kingsborough Community College 3-0 on Oct. 1 and the victory made Demas the QCC coach with the most wins in history, besting retired baseball coach Lou Santos’ record of 199 wins.
Demas has coached the women’s volleyball team since the program started in 2010. The Lady Tigers are currently winners of 15 matches this season and are first place in CUNYAC (City University of New York Athletic Conference) and Region XV.
“We started this season with a total of 188 wins achieved and I realized that we needed only 12 more to hit the record,” said Demas.
Since he joined QCC as a coach in 2010, the team has won several CUNYAC titles and accolades, including five ‘Player of the Week’ awards over the course of five weeks. This year, the team will compete for its eighth championship in 10 seasons and will also attempt to clinch its fourth consecutive Region XV and District Championships.
“This year we have a very strong roster. We’ve never had a team where every single player has been called upon in important matches to contribute, and have risen to the challenge. It’s great, but it also makes my job difficult because everyone deserves to play so you have to careful to balance time on the court,” Demas said.
He added: “None of our success would be possible without Jon Hochberg, student athletics director, Ivan Mak, athletic trainer, and our assistant coaches. They inspire and support us to keep moving forward and take us to the next level.”
QCC ranks at the top of the CUNYAC standings with a record of 3-0.
Demas emphasizes the demands of being on a college-level team, expecting team members to put in 25 to 30 hours a week. The coach holds practice six days a week, with games on Tuesdays and Thursdays and, often, double-headers on Saturdays.
“We pay attention to the fact that many of our athletes juggle family responsibilities and jobs. Sometimes we’ll have lighter practices, walk-throughs or video sessions,” he said.
Visit the QCC website to learn more about the team.
