Coaches of the Year

JANUARY 30, 2026 (New York) – The New York Volleyball Coaches Association (NYVCA) is pleased to announce the 2025 NYVCA Coach of the Year award recipients for boys and girls volleyball. Congratulations to all the coaches recognized! 

2025 NYVCA Coach of the Year:

  • Section 1 Boys: Heather Franco-Pfeiffer, Clarkstown South High School
  • Section 1 Girls: Maria Mahoney , John Jay East Fishkill High School
  • Section 2 Boys: Zack Kuhn , Columbia High School
  • Section 2 Girls: Jess Langan , Fonda-Fultonville High School
  • Section 3 Boys: Michael Lucia , Cicero-North Syracuse High School
  • Section 3 Girls: Karla Prince , Westhill High School
  • Section 4 Girls: Nicholas Vachon , Whitney Point High School
  • Section 5 Boys: Mike Fink , Penfield High School
  • Section 5 Girls: Kaitlin Kolb, York High School
  • Section 6 Boys: Thom Knab , Williamsville South High School
  • Section 6 Girls: Tom Sproul , Williamsville South High School
  • Section 7 Girls: Maddie Brassard , Peru Central High School
  • Section 8  Boys: Elissa DiSalvo , Massapequa High School
  • Section 8  Girls: Steve Mariano , South Side High School
  • Section 9  Girls: Shawn Thomas , Warwick Valley High School
  • Section 10 Girls: Nicole Deshaies, Massena Central School
  • Section 11 Boys: Bill Kropp, Eastport South Manor
  • Section 11 Girls: Jamie Soldinger , Bay Shore

Please see the social media graphic available below to celebrate the Coach of the Year recipients from each section. Congratulations!

2024-25 NYVCA Coach of the Year:

  • Section 1 Boys: Margaret "Peggy" Stead, North Rockland High School
  • Section 1 Girls: Gina Carlone, Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School
  • Section 2 Boys: Paul Sander, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School
  • Section 2 Girls: Christina Coons, Niskayuna High School       
  • Section 3 Boys: Jake Cline, Jamesville-Dewitt High School
  • Section 3 Girls: Jerime McHerron, Fayetteville Manlius         
  • Section 4 Girls: Pam Quinlan , Candor Central High School  
  • Section 5 Girls: Taylor Melidona (Rivera), Pittsford-Sutherland
  • Section 6 Girls: Becky Edwards, Lancaster Central High School
  • Section 6 Boys: Dave Hill, Clarence High School         
  • Section 7 Girls: Mary Anne Lake, Peru Central School                          
  • Section 9 Girls: Jeff Moulton, Cornwall High School 
  • Section 11 Boys: Bill Kropp, Eastport South Manor
  • Section 11 Girls: Haley Blunt, Ward Melville

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE Coaches THAT WERE SELECTED TO BE 2023-24 Coach OF THE YEAR:

SECTION: NAME: SCHOOL:
Section 1 Girls Daniela Castro Horace Greeley High School
Section 2 Girls Gary Bynon Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School
Section 2 Boys Sam Halpern North Colonie Shaker High School
Section 3 Girls Karla Prince Westhill High School
Section 3 Boys Mike Lucia Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Section 4 Girls Nicole Lamie Lansing High School
Section 5 Girls Peter DeWitte Webster Schroeder High School
Section 6 Girls Becky Edwards Lancaster Central High School
Section 6 Boys Mark Anzalone St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
Section 8 Girls Kerri Rehnback Long Beach High School
Section 9 Girls Shawn Stoliker Millbrook High School
Section 10 Girls Alyssa Sidmore Indian River High School
Section 11 Girls Eric Ericksen Hauppauge High School
Section 11 Boys Bill Kropp Eastport South Manor

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE Coaches THAT WERE SELECTED TO BE 2022-23 Coach OF THE YEAR:

SECTION: NAME: SCHOOL:
Section 1 Girls Stacey Riter Mamaroneck High School
Section 2 Girls Lori Kessler Shenendehowa High School
Section 2 Boys John Coletta Shenendehowa High School
Section 3 Girls Karla Prince Westhill High School
Section 3 Boys Jake Cline Jamesville-Dewitt
Section 4 Girls Nicole Lamie Lansing High School
Section 5 Girls Amy Colosimo Harley-Allendale-Columbia High School
Section 5 Boys Greg Kennedy Webster High School
Section 6 Girls Breean Martin Sweet Home High School
Section 6 Boys Brian Lombardo East Aurora High School
Section 7 Girls Elizabeth Brown Northern Adirondack Central School
Section 8 Girls Christina Strezenec Calhoun High School
Section 9 Girls Sandy Mancuso-Lopez  Mount Academy
Section 10 Girls Carla Wentworth Canton High School
Section 11 Girls Deb Urso Sayville High School
Section 11 Boys Brian O'Shaughnessy Ward Melville High School

 

The New York Volleyball Coaches Association (NYVCA) is a proud member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Signature Affiliate Program. The NYVCA was established as an AVCA Affiliate Partner and now joins Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Nebraska, and California as AVCA Signature Affiliate States. The AVCA Signature Affiliate Program was established in 2015 and is designed to incentivize AVCA membership, advance the high school volleyball community, and establish the AVCA as the official coaching education partner with the states that participate in the program.