2010 Season in Review

Panthers Catch Glimpse of Bright Future
Witkowski Wins Rookie of Year; Grabowski 1st Team

Purchase, NY (Mar. 23, 2010) – The 2010 season was filled with ups and downs, culminating with an emotional goodbye for Purchase all-time great Daniel Grabowski-Clark and team spark plug Michael Seltzer.

Men’s volleyball showed flashes of how good they could be, and narrowly missed the Skyline Conference tournament by one match, falling to Bard late in the season in a contest that determined their postseason fate. While the Panthers won’t have an easy time replacing Grabowski-Clark, last year’s Skyline Conference Player of the Year, the future looks bright with standout rookie Peter Witkowski and fellow freshman Brandon Berry expected back in 2011.

[Pictured above: PETER WITKOWSKI HAD A TERRIFIC ROOKIE SEASON, CULMINATING IN SKYLINE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS.
-Photo by Oren Vourman]

At season's end, Witkowski was named Skyline Rookie of the Year. He also garnered All-Skyline 2nd Team honors, joining Grabowski-Clark, who was named to the league's 1st Team.

The rebuilding Panthers will also need to find someone with as much energy as Seltzer, the team’s libero and emotional leader for three of the last four seasons, but are hopeful the veteran leadership of Len Mui and Bruno Estrada will be a good starting point. The foundation could be set for a return trip to the postseason with Mui, Estrada, Berry and Witkowski anchoring the lineup.

Witkowski was named Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week twice during the season. Berry also improved greatly down the stretch, while newcomers Matthew Doong and Joshua Oates added depth to their bench.

The Panthers (7-12, 3-7 Skyline Conference) capped the season by winning three of the last four, including a five-set thriller against Brooklyn College to close the spring.

-Bobby Ciafardini, SID

2010 Recaps:
Seniors, Panthers Burn Bridges in Five; Win Last Two
Bard Sweeps Purchase
Panthers Bounce Back in Another Five-Set Thriller
CCNY Outlasts Purchase in Five-Set Thriller
Panthers Rolling, Split Tri-Match
Panthers Earn First Skyline Win
CMSV Snaps Skid in Win Over PC
Panthers Earn First Win Over League Opponent
Yeshiva Tops Purchase
Panthers Push Undefeated CMSV
Lehman Slips Past Purchase
Panthers Get First Win, Split Home Opener
Sage Edges Purchase
Panthers Fall in Opener

2010-11 News:
Kutner Named Interim Head Coach
Witkowski ROY; Grabowski All-Skyline 1st Team
Witkowski Garners Rookie of the Week; Grabowski HR
Grabowski-Clark Earns 2nd HR Mention
Grabowski-Clark Named to Honor Roll
Skyline Rookie of the Week Goes to Witkowski

HOME MATCHES IN BOLD CAPS
* Skyline Conference Match

2009 Season in Review

Kwok Turns Program Around
Grabowski-Clark Player of the Year; Three All-Skyline

Purchase, NY (Mar. 31, 2009) – Under new head coach Nelson Kwok, the Purchase College men’s volleyball team thrived in 2009, turning around four wins from last season into 12 this spring.

Purchase went from 4-18 and 2-6 in league play in 2008 to 12-10 and a near quarterfinal upset of Bard College in the Skyline Tournament in 2009.  

With the arrival of Kwok, talented freshman setter Chris Shank and fellow rookies John Ray and Kyle Zehr, it appeared that the Panthers now possessed the missing pieces to contend.

The changes happened suddenly and dramatically. Shank would replace veteran Bic Cass at the setter position, allowing Cass to join standout outside hitter Dan Grabowski-Clark, creating one of the more formidable front lines in the conference. Shank would flourish at the setter position. A vocal leader, Shank would shine in his new role, setting up the dynamic tandem of Cass and Grabowski-Clark on the outside.

In addition, key contributors Derek Miles and Bruno Estrada were the perfect mixture of energy and dependability on a Panther roster that featured seven players by season’s end.

Grabowski-Clark would be awarded four honor roll mentions; two for Cass and one for Shank this season. Shank would also wrap up one Rookie of the Week honor for his stellar performance on the court.

At season's end, Grabowski-Clark was named Skyline Conference Men's Volleyball Player of the Year – becoming the first player in college history to receive this high an honor from the Skyline Conference. Miles, Ray and Cass would also go on to receive All-Skyline Second Team honors.

The team graduates Cass, but will return six players, including several key upperclassmen for the 2010 campaign – one that appears very bright.  

-Oren Vourman

2009 Recaps:
Panthers Wrap Season in Win Column
Nationally Ranked Stevens Too Strong Panthers
Panthers Fall in Conference Semis
No. 1 CMSV Tops Purchase
Cass Cashes in with Senior Night Win
Purchase Bounces Back at Lehman
Raptors Clip Panthers
Panthers Go 2-1 at Bard Tourney
Taking Back Monday: Panthers Sweep Maccabees
Dolphins Slip Past Panthers in Battle of Unbeatens
Panthers Fall at City Tech
V-Day Win Caps Off Huge Weekend for Panthers
Statement Win Over Bard Gives Purchase a Share of 1st
Hawks Rise Above Panthers
Panthers Fall at Ramapo
NJCU Outlasts Purchase
Panthers Burn Bridges
Panthers Split Weekend Action
Panthers Steamroll York
Hot Start: Panthers 1-0 After Victory at Yeshiva

2009 News:
Grabowski-Clark Named Player of Year; Three All-Skyline
Four Honor Roll Mentions for Grabowski-Clark
Grabowski-Clark Earns Third Honor Roll Nod
Shank Named Rookie of the Week
Grabowski-Clark Grabs Honor Roll Nod
Grabowski-Clark Named Player of the Week
Cass Named to Honor Roll
Cass, Shank Named to League Honor Roll

HOME MATCHES IN BOLD CAPS
* Skyline Conference Match
^ NECVA Metro Division Match     
+ Club Team -- match stats and victory do not count toward standings

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
* Skyline Conference Match
^ NECVA Conference Match     

2007 Men's Volleyball Season

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
* NEAC League Match