If the last names on the North Tonawanda boys volleyball team sound familiar, there’s a good reason. Whether it was a younger or older brother, it seems most of the team’s players have had a family member go through the program.
“My little brother played. I played. ... It always seems like somebody is related,” NT coach Luke Hodgson said. “That’s kind of the way we tailor the program, being that it’s a family atmosphere. These guys spend so much time together, they’re basically all brothers.”
Senior outside hitter Vinny Libroia didn’t have an older brother who introduced him to the sport, but did just that for his younger brother, Chris, a freshman on the junior varsity.
“He asks me what he does wrong when we get home. I try to help him as much as I can because it’s still new to him,” Vinny Libroia said.
Watching his older brother would be a good starting point for Chris, as Vinny has assumed a leadership role on this year’s varsity squad.
“He seems to be our go-to guy when we need a point,” Hodgson said of the elder Libroia. “He’s a leader out there on the court.”
Part of that leadership role involves handling adversity, which the Jacks have faced their fair share of this season. After winning the Niagara Frontier League with an undefeated league record last season, the Jacks have come back to the pack this year. NT stands at 5-3 in league play with a win over Lewiston-Porter on Tuesday.
“We haven’t found the right rotation yet,” Libroia said. “But every day we show up to work.”
Hodgson, who played for the Lumberjacks and later watched his little brother, Nick, also go through the program, believes that work ethic is fostered by each player wanting to exceed the accomplishment of those who came before them.
After all, there’s nothing better than beating a brother.
“It’s definitely in the blood,” the coach said. “Having family members seems to be our best feeder system.”
In addition to the Libroias, junior Pat Kenny’s younger brother, Cory, is also a freshman on the JV.
Contact editor Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Scott Schild
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: NT volleyball is a family affair
- Sports
-
-
HS VOLLEYBALL: Sky is the limit for Lady Jacks
Sometimes for a team to achieve its ultimate goal, it needs to succumb to a crushing defeat.
That’s exactly what the North Tonawanda girls volleyball squad experienced last fall when it fell to Canandaigua in the Far West Regional after capturing its first Section VI title in a decade. -
Lobdell, Bailey emerge as tough tandem for Section VI counterparts
Kenmore West juniors Marcus Lobdell and Martin Bailey line up in the Blue Devils’ backfield with a brotherly love-like mentality.
-
Ken West's Harris tabbed as coach of the week
Kenmore West head football coach Rich Harris was selected as the Week 1 High School Football Coach of the Week by the Buffalo Bills after the Blue Devils came away with a stunning 30-22 victory at North Tonawanda last Friday.
-
Spiller gets the nod as Bills starter
It took a few short months for Bills rookie running back C.J. Spiller to win the starting job and elevate expectations around town that Buffalo’s anemic offense just might have a semblance of a spark.
-
HS SOCCER OUTLOOK: Laper, Kaufman lead defensive force for NT
Area boys soccer teams hit the pitch in full swing for the 2010 fall season. The Tonawanda News previews the upcoming campaign.
-
Baylor presents a big hurdle for UB
The Buffalo Bulls’ season-opening drubbing of Rhode Island was hardly a harbinger of how the team will perform for the rest of the season.
-
Bills sign McIntyre to two-year deal
For someone who’s bounced around the NFL for nearly a decade, fullback Corey McIntyre finally feels like he’s found a home in Buffalo after signing a two-year, $1.85 million contract extension.
-
Excitement kicks up at Niagara
In the nine years he’s coached the Niagara men’s soccer team, Dermot McGrane has never been more excited heading into the season.
-
Polk and pork spark Lions’ victory
Polk took his first hand-off as a Lions’ starting tailback, sliced up the middle, cut right and raced 74 yards for a touchdown in Lockport’s 33-20 victory at Starpoint in the non-league football opener for both schools.
-
GI opens up with 31-0 win over N-W
The Vikings took down Niagara-Wheatfield 31-0 on the strength of a pair of touchdown receptions from senior wide receiver Nick Kellner on Saturday. Strong gusts of west-to-east wind wreaked havoc on the kicking game, but Vikings quarterback Tom Dzielski completed 10 passes for 193 yards and two scores.
- More Sports Headlines
-
