Player of the Year Matt Parisi
By BOB VIGGIANO
Courier-Post Staff
When Matt Parisi entered Cherry Hill West
almost three years ago, playing volleyball never
entered his mind.
"I really didn't know much about the sport,"
Parisi said. "One day coach (Scott) Sweeten came
up to me and said he was looking for some big
kids for the team. Then I went to watch a practice
and really got interested. That's kind of how it all
got started."
The 6-foot-3 junior played on the junior varsity team his freshman year and spent the last two
seasons as a starter on the varsity club.
"Right from the start you could see Matt had
athletic ability," Sweeten said. "But he had to
learn the game. Last year he played the middle
for us because we needed someone big there. He
did a very nice
job there, but
after the season
I told him we
were going to
need him on the
outside next
year."
"At first it
was a big adjustment for
me," Parisi
said. "But playing club volleyball during the
offseason really
helped me
adapt to the outside. Once I adjusted to the outside it got easier and easier for
me. I became the go-to guy on our team and I enjoyed that role."
He adjusted to his new position so well he has
been named the 2004 Courier-Post Volleyball
Player of the Year.
Parisi turned in one powerful performance after another as he helped the Lions compile a 21-3
record and their first Olympic Conference American Division championship. During the season,
the Lions won 17 straight matches before losing a
hard-fought 3-2 decision to Fair Lawn in the state
tournament quarterfinals.
During the season he recorded a school-record 336 kills and had a remarkable 43 percent
kill rate.
He also led the Lions in digs, averaging 13 a
match, and had an 80 percent passing accuracy
rate.
"Matt has worked extremely hard to get
where he is today," Sweeten said. "And his best
days are still ahead of him."
"We all had a fantastic time this year," Parisi
said. "After we beat Cherry Hill East the first
time this season I knew we had something going.
Sure we lost a tough match to Fair Lawn, but this
season is something I won't soon forget."
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Coach of the Year Scott Sweeten
By BOB VIGGIANO
Courier-Post Staff
The plan that Scott Sweeten laid out for his
Cherry Hill West volleyball team worked pretty
well this season.
He moved a few players to different positions
with remarkable results and others simply
stepped up their games to another level.
All this resulted in an outstanding season for
the Lions.
They won the Olympic Conference American
Division title for the first time in the program's
11-year history and finished the season with a
21-3 record.
"I knew we were going to be a pretty good
team this year," Sweeten said.
"But I just didn't know just how good. We
have played in the shadow of Cherry Hill East for
many years, so
we had to chase
some ghosts
out before this
could be a very
successful season."
The Lions
put together a
remarkable 17-
match winning
streak, including two victories over Cherry Hill East for
the first time in
history, that
only ended
with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Fair Lawn in the state tournament quarterfinals.
For his accomplishments this season Sweeten
has been named the 2004 Courier-Post Volleyball
Coach of the Year.
"This is a very nice honor," Sweeten said.
"But it was certainly a team effort all-around this
season. I have always believed that a good coach
lays out a plan and then stays out of the way.
"The key was that the kids accepted the roles I
gave them. I have always believed when that
happens it makes things so much easier for everyone involved."
Sweeten says another big factor in West's success this year came from the large number of
players that got involved in club volleyball during the offseason.
"The kids came back and told me what
worked for them during the club season," Sweeten said. "So I incorporated some of that in our
plan for the season. I think that kind of communication worked out well for us.
"It was a wonderful experience this year. I
had a great time and I think the kids had a great
time. Beating Cherry Hill East twice and winning the division title made it even that more enjoyable for us."
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