2010 Season Preview

Panthers Catch Glimpse of Bright Future
Witkowski Wins Skyline 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 News:
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