Kennedy soccer stars also

shine for Knights on volleyball

court in early-season battle for

first place

 

By Jason Eisenberg

 

April 7, 2011 -- At first glance, it would appear that the sports

of soccer and volleyball do not have much in common.

Besides the fact that they both involve a ball and a net, soccer

players rely primarily on their feet and head, while volleyball

requires only the use of the hands and arms.

 

However, each time that the John F. Kennedy High

School boys’ volleyball team hits the court, it shows that

these two sports might be a lot more similar than most people would think. In fact, JFK’s 2011 volleyball roster bears an uncanny resemblance to the school’s soccer lineup of this past fall, with a handful of student-athletes making the transition from the field to the court.

 

Leading this group of five soccer-turned-volleyball players is senior Leudy Veras, a second-year outside hitter and goalkeeper, who has helped bolster the volleyball squad by bringing on board some of his soccer buddies.

 

“I talked to them early in the soccer season and let them know that volleyball can actually improve their soccer skills because it also requires stamina, a lot of jumping and the ability to move and react quickly,” said Veras. “I know they didn’t come here to lose, so I try to teach them and help them all I can. This is only my second season, so if I can do it, I know they can do it.”

 

So far, the newcomers have fit in seamlessly. Keep in mind that these are not reserves seeing little playing time, but rather a collection of multi-sport athletes that have proven to be integral pieces on two teams. Veras is arguably the most valuable player for his team in both sports, but longtime Kennedy volleyball head coach Iris Bromfield has not hesitated to put the less-experienced additions out on the court in crucial situations right from the start of the season.

 

Consider that seniors Aboubacar Kaba and Edmond Badu, as well as junior Michael Drame -- in that order -- currently have the second, third and fourth most kills on the roster, behind only fellow soccer teammate Veras. Kaba and Drame are both among the top three leaders in blocks, while Badu is third on the team in service points. Although his time on the court has been a little more limited, even freshman Fatlum Maloku -- the fifth member of the soccer quintet -- has been used as a backup setter and is second on the squad in assists.

 

“I actually think that many of the skills directly translate between the two sports,” said Coach Bromfield. “In soccer you have to be quick, agile and think fast, just like in volleyball. What is even more important is that these soccer kids are very smart and they are used to working so hard. Obviously, we have had to teach them a few new things, but they are already 10-times better than what I saw just a few weeks ago.” 

 

The Knights have actually had to play the first half of the season without senior setter Hansel Collado, who still remains sidelined after surgery for appendicitis. Senior Angel Acosta has moved from his usual position on the outside and been nearly flawless while filling in as the starting setter. With all of these necessary lineup adjustments, the soccer stars have stepped up and played major roles in helping Kennedy get off to a perfect 6-0 start.

 

Last week, the Knights swept three matches in a span of five days, beginning with a tough, hard-fought victory over reigning division champion Walton on Monday and ending with a big win against Dewitt Clinton on Friday to take sole possession of first place. In the match with Clinton, JFK actually found itself trailing 16-9 midway through the first set. This slow start prompted Coach Bromfield to call a timeout and it proved to be the turning point of the evening.

 

“Coach told us that some players looked like they were not in to the game and that we needed to get it together quickly,” said Veras. “We all expected more from ourselves and we know our team has a lot of heart, so we had to focus on overcoming this obstacle just like we have done so many other times.”

 

As Veras proceeded to bomb one un-returnable kill after another, JFK would go on a 16-6 run after the timeout and took the first set 25-22. With the momentum now fully on their side, the Knights easily dominated the second set by a score of 25-8 and clinched the victory.

 

Veras finished with team-highs in kills (13) and digs (nine), while Acosta also shined with 26 assists. Kaba had five kills, followed by Badu with four kills and six digs, as well as Drame with four kills to go along with a team-high five blocks. Other standouts included sophomore Bryan Lantigua, who had nine service points to share the team-lead with Acosta; senior Jeffry Feliz with six digs and six service points; freshman Lamar Henry with three kills and three blocks; and junior Ulysses Hernandez with six digs.

 

“This year, my team is very deep and very intense about winning. They really want to get back that division championship we lost last season,” said Coach Bromfield. “We still have a lot of work to do, but if these guys continue to improve and we get Hansel back, I want to say yes ... we should win the Bronx division and also have a chance to compete for the city title.”           

 

 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

 

JFK PLAYER OF THE MATCH:

       Leudy Veras - The senior outside hitter led his team with nine digs and by a wide margin with 13 kills, but even more importantly, with his leadership on and off the court. In addition to coming up big for the Knights on just about every crucial point, Veras was also noticeably encouraging and advising some of his less experienced teammates throughout the match.