Boys Volleyball Coach Focuses on the Basics

The boys of the Central Regional boys volleyball team have made huge strides since their first season and are prepping for their April 1 opener at Red Bank Catholic, coach Jeff Mangold said.

"We've come a long way," Mangold said. "We went 2-8 last year, which is unheard of for a first-year program. We're bigger, stronger, confident. And we've got some great athletes, including some soccer players."

That includes setters and hitters Nick Salvemini, a senior, and Nick Monguso, a junior. They are two of the tri-captains, along with senior middle hitter Dan Tarabokija. Junior outside hitter Schyler Jaworowski also played soccer.

"Our hitters are solid," Mangold said. "We're small in the middle. We want to get one-on-ones with the blocks. Then we can free up the other hitters."

Junior middle hitter Cody Ertle is a solid inside blocker and junior Dakota Thomson has played well as an outside hitter, he said.

Salvemini and Monguso will do most of the setting.  The team needs to improve in serving, Mangold said.

"We're good," Mangold said. "We're getting there. It's not the most exciting thing.  Everyone wants to hit, but the setter has to be the quarterback of the team.

"In practice, it's been great, but then the kids are apprehensive in matches," he said. "We have to be conservative in that with the rally scoring. I want to see more jump serves."

In rally scoring, a serve that is too wide or too deep gives the opposing team the serve and a point. Serves that hit the top of the net and go over to the other side are live and in play.

"That's the one thing I'm not used to from when I played," Mangold said with a laugh. "Back then, when you hit the net, the play stops."

Mangold brings a wealth of experience from his playing days at East Stroudsburg University, where he played for two years, and in his professional career. ESU was ranked as high as No. 16 as an NCAA Division I program in 1988 while Mangold played there.

He played in the Eastern Volleyball Association and the Association of Volleyball Professionals and was on a doubles team ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Federation of Outdoor Volleyball Association.

"The kids are really enthusiastic about the sport," Mangold said."There's a lot of support from the administration. They're great. Whenever I've asked for help, Athletic Director Vin Casale has done that for us."

Most of the entire' team's only prior exposure to the sport has been in physical education classes at school and casually playing among friends or family outdoors.

So Mangold focuses on the basics.

"It's getting them to constantly move to the ball with bumping, spiking and setting," he said. "The kids are very receptive to going back to basics. What I try to emphasize is that I come from a doubles background and sixes (playing six on a side) in college, which shows you can't specialize. You have to hone all the skills."

Chris Penta, a sophomore libero, is the only player who has been exposed to club volleyball, said Mangold, who likes a 6-2 formation. Penta, the team's anchor on defense, started playing club after last season.

Mangold wants to develop 6-feet, 7-inch senior Dylan Muelheim into an intimidating inside hitter. Junior John Edler "has come a long way" from last season and sophomore Ambrose Powell is a good outside hitter, he said.

The five teams in Shore Conference B South include Berkeley, Barnegat, Lacey, Monsignor Donovan and Manchester.

The Golden Eagles play their  Shore Conference B South opener at Barnegat on April 5.