Nordonia High School needs 15-20 athletic young men interested in playing volleyball to complete the JV and Varsity teams to compete against teams all over northeast Ohio. There will be twenty-two games played against suburban league teams such as Stow, Hudson, Brecksville, Cuyahoga Falls, and Kent. Nordonia will be considered a club team for its first official year, and not officially a suburban league team as of yet.
The volleyball teams will be able to compete in the state tournament in May against the best Ohio teams, so coaches are looking forward to that challenge, along with the22 other matches that will be played.
VOLLEYBALL TEAM TRYOUTS INFORMATION:
Feb 21, and 22 after school from 3pm-5pm @ Nordonia High School
Feb 20 Time TBA due to Presidents Day.
OPEN GYMS:
Open gyms will be available for any boy who wants to see if they are good at this sport. These are free open gyms and they are from 730pm-930pm on Feb 8,15 at Nordonia High School.
Open gyms have been ongoing for the past couple of months and about 10-15 boys show up on an average basis, but the team is looking for more talent out there.
Individuals who make the team will practice from 3pm-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 7pm-9pm on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The teams do not play on the weekend and will only have one or two practices on a Saturday. Games will be scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights.
Dates to Remember:
The first official scheduled scrimmage will be March 1st at Nordonia, and the first preview will be on March 11th also at NHS. The first official match is March 10th at Chardon. March 13th will be the first official home opener against Cuyahoga Falls.
There will be a fee to play for the Boys Volleyball club team just like all the other sports at Nordonia, and funds will have to be raised from the Nordonia community to pay for officials to referee, transportation, coaching salaries, uniforms, and equipment. A fundraiser will be posted soon to notify and gain community support. rocco217@windstream.net if any parents or community members would like to support us or have any questions about volleyball.
Meet The Coach:
Rocco Covelli has coached volleyball for the past 20 years, mostly in Maple Heights, where he has been the head coach for five years compiling an 89-29 record and three league championships. Coach Covelli says, “I was fortunate enough to get one of my girls a Division I scholarship to Cleveland State University this past season and 95% of my girls graduate with a 3.0 or higher.” Covelli has also been coaching out of Buckeye Fire Volleyball club for the past two seasons, working with age 13 and 14 players to achieve the college readiness athletic skill level.
Coach Rocco Covelli has three children. Rocco Jr. who graduated last year and is playing some club volleyball at Kent state. Rocco Jr. will be helping with assistant coaching as he has grown to love the sport, after having had baseball as a first choice prior. Gianni is a junior at Nordonia who is a very talented baseball player, but has really improved his skills in volleyball Fire Volleyball with the 13 team and she has been playing for the past three seasons.
Coach Covelli admits, “I am very excited about this opportunity to coach at Nordonia and to build a program from scratch. I would like to thank Rob Eckenrode for giving me the opportunity to coach. I would like to also thank my wife and kids for allowing me to spend so many hours on the sport I love to coach. Many spring sports are played at Nordonia and Rocco says,” I am looking to find that player who needs to shine in another sport, perhaps attract newer volleyball players with fun engagement, showcasing the sport and its growth across America.”
Coaching Interest?
The team is still looking to add additional coaches to the team.
Eric Sopata a friend and coach of volleyball for years has been assisting and helping out, but if there is any teacher or community member who would be interested in being a JV coach or voluntary coach please contact Rocco Covelli at rocco217@windstream.net.
“I guarantee if you’re not doing any spring sports, would like to be involved in something new, exciting, and entertaining, then volleyball is the sport to try! I hope to see some more young men at the next open gym and tryouts.”
