On April 24th, Kevin Nardone, a 2012 graduate of Schreiber HS and about to be a May 2016 graduate (B.A. Business Administration – Finance, Communications minor) of SUNY New Paltz, capped a great four year run at New Paltz by helping lead the team to its first NCAA D3 Men’s Volleyball Championship at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. The D3 conference is its largest NCAA Men’s Volleyball, with over 65 teams participating. New Paltz was ranked #1 in the country for the last six weeks of the 2016 season. The New Paltz Hawks two previous seasons concluded in the semifinals of the national championship.
Nardone was co-captain, along with Christian Smith (Massapequa HS) for both their junior and senior seasons. In 2015, Kevin was awarded the prestigious Kenneth Burda Award and it was noted that he was the “glue” that keeps the team together especially in the most demanding matches. He has primarily played the role of Libero – a back row defensive specialist that is most needed against the toughest competition. His ability to “dig”, pass the ball extremely well, stay calm and focused, to anticipate and react extremely quickly has been observed by many over his last two seasons as a starter. His first two seasons at New Paltz, Kevin played regularly, often coming off the bench in critical moments.
Nardone first started playing organized volleyball as a Weber Middle School student. His Schreiber teams were coached by Maria Giamanco and were always a top team in Nassau County. He also played two seasons for Long Island Volleyball Club, traveling nationally season in his senior year of HS.