Ocean County College had its inaugural season for Men’s Volleyball in 2023, and the Vikings got off on the right foot last year. The Vikings went 9-1 during the regular season, winning Region 19 and making a run to National’s, where the team placed fifth.
I had the chance to sit down with a couple of players, Tyler Iozzi and Jake Sullivan, and chat about last season, as well as their expectations for this upcoming season.
Iozzi, a second-year student here at OCC, is the setter and captain of the team. Last season, he put together a solid season, his 385 assists earned him All-Region and All-Conference recognition.
Sullivan, also a second-year student, was the outside hitter for the team. He recorded 120 kills, 90 digs, and 15 aces, earning him Team MVP, All-Region and All-Conference nominations. Sullivan will not be at OCC for the season this year.
The Vikings have some expectations to live up to after their success last year, and the team feels confident they can live up to the hype. “We were able to hit the ball and block really well last year, but we need to improve on passing and setting, as well as serving and covering our zones,” Iozzi said. The team this year has two returning players, Iozzi and Pardys Ahmadi, and they have tons of new players coming in. The depth of this team will be a strength.
The Vikings are ready to take another big step this season. “The difference between regular season and nationals was huge. During the season, we were limited to competition because we were a new program so we struggled to adjust to the quality and speed at nationals last year. Teams were much bigger, much faster, and I felt like we weren’t focused and got caught up in the moment,” Iozzi said when asked about the disadvantages of being a new program.
“We were really disappointed with our performance at nationals last year. We placed fifth out of six teams and we felt that we could’ve played so much better if we just played our game. Pool play on day one was a challenge, playing that many games at that speed wasn’t easy,” Sullivan said.
“Our program is making a name for itself and we feel that the interest to new players is high due to our success last year, and we’d like to carry that into this season and beyond,” Iozzi said.
The Vikings begin their season Jan. 28 and look to win the region and make a deep run at nationals.
