This blog features entries from the HSMSE Sports Journalism Class. They do not reflect the opinions of the HSMSE Staff, Administration or the New York City Department of Education.
Coach Diunte (l.) with his team's three seniors / Monicka Chang
In an exciting boys' volleyball match at the Nat Holman Gymnasium on April 29th the Brandeis Bulldogs upset the HSMSE Dragons for their first win of the season. The Dragons looked good from the beginning of the game, and at one point were up by seven, but the Bulldogs clawed their way back to a convincing 27-25, 25-19 win.
In their previous meeting. the HSMSE boys’ volleyball team defeated the Brandeis Bulldogs on April 13th; however, they were not able to close out the first set in what appeared to be the young team showing their inexperience. This played a part in how the team approached the second set, with the team continuing to make the same mental lapses that caused them to give up a big lead in the first set. This gave the feeling that they were playing defeated from the start of the second set.
This is not the first lead the Dragons have given up this season; it has been a constant problem for half of the Dragons league’s games. Coach Nick Diunte feels it’s not such a physical problem, but more of a mental struggle for the team.
“I think a lot of it is mental at this point," Diunte said in a post game interview. "I think just mentally they need to have the wherewithal to finish plays and be confident enough to take their best swing."
The Dragons learned a valuable lesson from this loss and look to bounce back in their upcoming games with a different mindset.
The HSMSE boys volleyball team lost their season's last home game against Brandeis, 27-25, 25-19, this past Wednesday at Nat Holman Gym. This home game was very emotional because it was the last home game for three seniors who will graduate this year.
Senior libero Evgeni Dobranov had a productive game with nine digs and four service points. This was his last home game as a member of the team.
“The game felt pretty good,"Dobranov said."It felt good to be home and just to be able to play a little bit more.”
Austin Han and Mateusz Zukowski, the two other seniors, will also be graduating. Junior Nicholas Jorquera said there will be a shift in leadership next year with the absence of these seniors.
“A lot of players will emerge as leaders, obviously the seniors are going to be missed but I guess we have to continue; we’ve done that every year,” Jorquera said.
Jorquera had a fruitful game with four digs and six kills to accompany an ace. Sophomore Yussef Elbagoury also played well with an ace, five kills, and six digs. Despite Wednesday's loss, the production from their younger players show a bright future ahead of them.
Yussef Elbagoury - Monicka Chang
“The most important thing is to win as a team. As the season progresses we’ll hopefully get to hit a lot smarter, [and] as a team we will hopefully destroy some other teams,” Elbagoury said.
Wednesday’s loss was tough; but that does not stop the HSMSE boys' volleyball team from grinding out some wins to finish the season on a good note. Three valuable players will be missed, but the team is in good hands.
Louis Brandeis’ boys’ volleyball coach Jose Omar Vargas returned to CCNY, coaching his team to a narrow 27-25, 25-19 victory over the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering on April 29. Vargas was inducted into CCNY’s Hall of Fame in 2009 after starting the college’s mens’ volleyball team, and winning both the CUNY mens’ and womens’ championships.
Jose Omar Vargas points to his Hall of Fame plaque / N. Diunte
“Quite frankly it is like returning home,” Vargas said.
Brandeis' captain and outside hitter Joel Ortiz played extremely well, recording five digs and nine kills. Vargas praised Ortiz after the game.
“He’s always hustling on the court, talking to the kids and making them better,” Vargas said. “He’s a true leader and I love him for that.”
Vargas has transformed Brandeis into a school where volleyball is a popular sport, with more people trying to make the team. Coach Vargas has also established a work-hard philosophy for the team.
“I have the reputation of being a disciplinarian,” he said. “I’m a nice guy, but I don’t play any games. If you give me your time, I’m going to respect you.”
Although Vargas has retired from teaching at Brandeis, he continues to coach the boys’ volleyball team. He cites his true love for the game as the reason he keeps coaching.
“I’m no longer coaching to win a game, I’m coaching for life,” he said. “That’s my legacy; to make young people better, to appreciate the game, and to enjoy it for life.”
Todd Spehr’s “Drazen: the Life and Legacy of the Mozart of Basketball,” details the life of European basketball pioneer Drazen Petrovic. Spehr captures the winning spirit and tenacity that Petrovic displayed throughout his career. Although Americans only know Petrovic by his two notable years as a key contributor to the New Jersey Nets, his legacy stretches out to be far greater than what he is remembered to be in the United States.
Showing an unparalleled desire to hone his basketball skills from a young age, Drazen Petrovic laboriously sculpted a legendary career in the solitude of an empty basketball court in his hometown Sibenka.
"There is in Sibenka one boy who will be better than 'Kicha' [Dragan Kicanovic] and me ... He is called Drazen Petrovic. Remember the name," said his Yugoslavian club coach Zoran Slavnic.
Petrovic became Yugoslavia’s best player early in his career. Petrovic’s success in Yugoslavian basketball allowed him to change the rules for Yugoslavian athletes of the future. By threatening to disqualify himself from international competition, he managed to enter the Spanish league where he could comfortably transition to the NBA.
“I will go one day to the United States, with the professionals,” he told El Pais. “I just know that no European player has won there. I’ll be the first and nobody can stop me.”
Petrovic was drafted in 1986 by the Portland Trail Blazers, but he did not join the NBA until the 1989-90 NBA season after the Blazers bought out the remaining two years of his contract with Madrid. Petrovic was limited to the bench in his two seasons with the Trail Blazers, as he played on a very talented Portland team. Petrovic grew to be very unhappy with his limited role and demanded a trade in the middle of the 1990-91 season. Portland obliged, trading him to the New Jersey Nets.
It wasn’t so easy for Petrovic transitioning to life in the United States. He was emotionally in pain due to worrying about his family in Croatia. He was also troubled by his teammates reluctance to accept him as one of their leaders. He was driven to become the first European star player to earn his teammates respect.
As Drazen developed on the Nets, he sought the confidence which he had exuded in Euro tournaments. It was in his play against the top NBA talents that he displayed his trademark tenacity. His ability to fearlessly stand up against the greatest opponents earned him the respect of legends such as Reggie Miller.
“One shooter to the other, I envied his ability," Miller said in his autobiography, "I Love Being the Enemy."
Petrovic’s path to NBA stardom ended suddenly on June 7th, 1993. While traveling on the Autobahn in Germany, Petrovic’s car crashed into a truck. Traveling without a seat belt, Petrovic did not stand a chance; he passed at the age of 28.
Spehr’s deep and detailed work is evident in his complete coverage of Drazen’s life in Europe, his success on the Croatian National team, and his accomplishments in the NBA. His prosperity has paved the way for other Europeans such as Peja Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki to thrive in the NBA. His legacy can still be remembered at the Drazen Petrovic Memorial in Zagreb, Croatia.
Todd Spehr is an Australian author who self published “Drazen: The Remarkable Life and Legacy of the Mozart of Basketball,” in 2015 on deceased former New Jersey Nets guard Drazen Petrovic. Spehr follows Petrovic’s life from childhood, up until his untimely death in a car crash on June 7, 1993. Spehr heard about Petrovic from a scout in Oklahoma City, prompting him to look further into Petrovic’s life.
Zoran Citra, a former teammate of Petrovic, wrote an article about the book Spehr was in the process of constructing. The Petrovic Museum, run by the family, noticed the story. The family hurried to support Spehr in his research. The superstar’s life lacked coverage, leaving many basketball fans unaware of his story.
“They appreciate that I am trying to relay what Drazen’s life was about,” he said.
Petrovic’s mother, Biserka, made sure to provide Spehr with as much information as possible about her son’s life growing up and their reaction to his tragic end. The family wants to translate the book so even Croatians can better understand Petrovic’s legacy.
“His mother does not speak any English, but she wrote me two separate letters that were translated,” he said. “Both of them were 8-10 pages; one was about his childhood, and the other was about how they dealt with life after he was killed. It was just unbelievable.”
Petrovic developed a close relationship with New Jersey fans in only two seasons with the Nets. His energy and flashy plays electrified the Izod Center. The shocking news of Petrovic’s death devastated the Nets organization, as well as the family and friends of the Croatian star.
“[Coach] Chuck [Daly] wanted to resign based on Drazen’s death, it shook him up pretty bad. He stayed an extra year, but after that he left, [Derrick] Coleman and [Kenny] Anderson went downhill,” Spehr said. “Even [with] the Croatian national team, same thing happened. They never placed better than third in another tournament.”
Even with his short time with the Nets, Petrovic is remembered well more than 20 years after his passing. Whether it is his number three hanging from the rafters in Brooklyn, or his museum in Croatia, basketball fans are reminded of Petrovic's all too short legacy worldwide.
