By Edgar Rivas, Jr.—
Exit Kevin Rodgers. Enter Ray Vance. The NJCU Men’s Volleyball team enters the 2013 season under new leadership.
Vance was hired in July of 2012 and his first line of duty was coaching the NJCU Women’s Volleyball team. Prior to joining NJCU, he coached Richmond Volleyball Club (VA) from 2009-12.
“I coached with a lot of great coaches and players at RVC. It is one of the biggest clubs in Virginia and is building a foundation for success of the athletes who play for them. I made a lot of good friends there and continue to stay in contact about chances for recruiting and doing camps,” he said about his tenure there.
He has Division I experience during his time as assistant coach to the Virginia Commonwealth University Women’s team.
He will coach a team who comes off a Skyline Conference Tournament semifinal loss to Ramapo on April 14, 2012.
“I think the team last year was good enough to win but not everyone was on the same page as far as system and personnel. We are better in that and have added a lot of good and strong pieces to the team,” said Vance. “We will compete better and be significantly more consistent this season and that should get us where we want to go.”
Besmir Arslani, 20, Health Sciences, from Wayne is returning after a very impressive rookie season.
“Whatever you saw last year is just the beginning but then again I’m not going to let this team revolve around me,” he said. “What I brought to the table last year, I’m going to bring more this year.”
Justin Beaumont, 25, Criminal Justice (Minor: Sociology), from Bayonne is in his final year with the team.
“I’ve been here for a long time. I was a freshman here in 2007. The anticipation for this season is so far beyond the others because of the talent level we have,” said Beaumont. “The freshman class we have this year, compared to the other years that I was here, is the best I’ve ever seen.”
The 2013 roster includes 10 freshmen. They will be under the leadership of Arslani and Beaumont.
“This year’s squad is just as good as last year’s, if not better,” he said. “The only way we’re going to win games is if everybody puts everything all on the table.”
Arslani think this year’s team has more depth:
“If I get hurt, we have someone who can fill my spot and I won’t be worried because I know the job will get done.”
These 14 players will be under a new system from Vance.
“He’s coaching the team. He’s not telling us what we have to do, he’s telling us what we need to do to get better,” said Arslani. “I’m buying into his sytem.”
“His volleyball knowledge is really high and knows the game very well,” said Beaumont. “He’s looking out for the best interest of the program and the NJCU family, especially academically. He wants his players to graduate.”
Vance adds: “In college athletics, each and every participant should be a student first and an athlete second. We stress the importance of getting good grades and success in the classroom as that is the foundation for your future success. The athletics side is important as well but it is more an accent to the college experience and not the primary emphasis.”
Vance is looking forward to the games in the 2013 schedule.
“We have a really solid schedule this season with 7 teams who are ranked within the AVCA Top National 15 poll. Our conference matches will also be big as the winner of the regular season gets to host the Skyline Championships,” he said. “One match I do have marked on the calendar is our April 2 match up at NJCU against SUNY New Paltz as that is my former college team that I played for. My college coach is their assistant and he is a major influence on my life.”