Team loses playoff bid in last game

Admittedly, the NYU volleyball team ended its season on a disappointing note.

The team missed out on a playoff bid, lost their last match against East Stroudsburg University, and ended the year with a 10-20 record.

But the season did have some positive notes. Senior captains Devin Zolnowski and Ilan Goldstein both had record-breaking years, the team won four of their last five games, and they finished the season ranked seventh in the Bison/AVCA Division-III Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll.

'We had a couple of losses early on in the season that prevented us from getting to the offensive level we needed to be at,' head coach Jose Pina said. 'Given what we had, we played below our potential.'

The team's biggest loss at the end of the season will be Zolnowski. Zolnowski leaves NYU with the most career kills, career points, kills in a season, kills all-time, and points in a season during the rally-scoring era. He ends his career with 1,529 kills, 623 digs, 272 total blocks and 85 service aces.

'He was the focus and linchpin of our offense, and other teams knew it,' Pina said.

During the rally-scoring era, Goldstein achieved the single-season assist and career-assist records with 1,227 and 3,326, respectively.

Senior David Coll accumulated 232 kills, 15 digs and 98 blocks during his final season.

'He played up to the level we knew he could play at,' Pina said. 'I am very proud of how David Coll progressed during his four years at NYU.'

Along with the team's other returning players, junior Michael Ferragonio will take the place of one of the departing seniors.

'It will be difficult to replace the great play of our graduating seniors, but some of the underclassmen have showed the ability to fill their shoes,' said Ferragonio, who recorded 310 kills this season.

With a fresh group of incoming freshmen to complement the returning athletes, the team hopes the late-season success will carry over into next year.

'We expect a very good recruiting class,' Pina said. 'We have five commitments from very good players and are waiting on two more.'

In its last five games the team played strong, taking victories from East Stroudsburg University, Springfield College, Sacred Heart University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

'We managed to win the last four games we've had, three of which were away at tough places on their senior night,' sophomore Fran Hodgson said before NYU's loss against East Stroudsburg on Saturday.

Christian Wolan is a staff writer. E-mail him at sports@nyunews.com.