Top photo caption: The St. John Vianney boys volleyball team returns all but one starter from last season’s South Jersey Group I finalist, and the roster includes four players who were on the 2023 state championship team. SJV has rolled to a 5-0 start this season. Courtesy photo
By Rich Fisher, Contributing Editor
Jessica Gadaleta isn’t looking for the typical athlete, at least when it comes to her volleyball players.
“As we say in our program all the time, winning is uncommon,” said Gadaleta, who coaches the Lancers of St. John Vianney, Holmdel, with husband Brian. “It requires uncommon sacrifice, uncommon commitment, uncommon dedication to the game and to one another. We’re very lucky we have a host of uncommon kids who are willing to dig in and find ways to win.”
Just look at the past three seasons and it’s easy to see SJV players are not the norm. The Lancers won the NJSIAA Group I state title in 2023, reached the Group I finals in ’24 and got to the South Jersey Group I finals last year.
A common team would suffer a drop-off in talent. Not so with SJV, which returns all but one starter from last season.
“We’re very lucky,” Gadaleta said. “It speaks to the kind of kids we have at St. John’s and the quality of athletes that they are. My kids aren’t volleyball players, they’re just athletes. Athletes find ways to compete. We’re looking for people that just have that competitive edge, and we’ve been blessed to find them.”
The Lancers lone graduate from a 22-3 squad was setter Peter Gioacchini, who has been replaced by senior Dom Blunda.
“Replacing Peter as our setter is always tough, it’s like having to replace your quarterback,” Gadaleta said. “But Dom has been training alongside of Peter the last three years. He’s ready.”
Through SJV’s 5-0 start Blunda has 117 assists and is second on the team with 10 service aces.
“He’s new to the lineup but he’s got a ton of weapons around him and he’s getting really comfortable in learning the role,” Gadaleta said. “Every game he gets a little better. And hopefully he’ll be playing at his peak in June.”
Everyone else in the lineup is returning.
Outside hitters are seniors Isaiah Boone (46 kills, 19 digs), who is committed to Division II Bloomsburg for basketball, and Troy Sheerin (25 kills, 24 digs, 14 aces).
“Isaiah is playing better than he’s ever played and we’ll lean on him for a lot of our offense,” Gadaleta said. “If Isaiah is the explosive hitter, Troy is the smart, savvy hitter so they make a nice complement to one another.”
The middles feature senior Dominick Fuoco 18 kills, 9 blocks) and junior Gavin Bearmore (16 kills, 3 blocks). Fuoco has vastly improved his cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength and is “playing great so far,” according to the coach. Bearmore broke into the starting lineup in the middle of last season and “was probably our best offensive weapon in the state sectional game with Hudson Catholic.”
Junior Justin Togans (18 kills, 6 blocks), a three-year basketball starter, is the right-side pin and “we expect him to be a major presence in the offense.”
Senior Alex Cardenas (21 digs) is a three-year starter at libero who “brings a ton of leadership, and he’s super athletic and super quick.”
Junior George Farah (15 digs) enters as a defensive specialist and slides to libero when Cardenas goes out.
“George will be an impact defender for us too,” Gadaleta said. “I think we have the ability to first-ball set-out, because we have a good serve-receiver and we have a lot of good hitters. The difference is what Alex and George can do in extending plays for us.”
Rounding out the team are seniors Gavin Dorfer and Zachary Marshall, juniors Evan Fernandez, Trey Gestmyer, Dylan Pino, Nicholas Winfrey and Christian Saulon, and sophomore Luke Angeles.
It is a veteran lineup that has enjoyed exciting highs and suffered disappointing endings to seasons. The goals are high this year, as SJV hopes to make a run at Shore Conference and Group I championships.
“Four of my kids were on that 2023 state championship team as freshmen, they know what it takes to win,” Gadaleta said. “They know what it’s gonna demand of them and time will tell if they’re willing to sacrifice for it.
“At the end of last season, we faced a lot of adversity; as a result, we fell a little short of our goals. I think every kid on that roster remembers that. They’re coming back with a fire under them, especially because most of them are seniors and this is the last sport they will play in high school.”
With the program’s consistent success, it was suggested to Gadaleta that incoming players likely buy in to the system upon arrival.
“I so wish,” she said with a laugh. “It’s just as much work as year one. Like I said, winning is uncommon. You’ve gotta be committed to doing the work every single year and my husband and I have a simple rule – as soon as it stops being fun, we’re not gonna do it anymore. So far, we’ve been having a good time, and I think the kids are too, and that’s what makes it special.”
