From Falcon tormentor to volleyball coach

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, September 14, 2006

If the Niagara-Wheatfield girls volleyball program is serious about challenging for the Niagara Frontier League title and becoming a legitimate threat in the Section VI playoffs, the Falcons surely have selected a coach who knows a lot about winning.

Brandi Trapasso was a five-year varsity outside hitter for the North Tonawanda Lady Jacks and helped NT win state titles in 1998, 1999 and 2000, tormenting the Falcons and the rest of the league on a regular basis.

After continuing her standout playing career at Bucknell University, she came back home to Western New York last year and got a teaching job at Niagara-Wheatfield. She landed the junior varsity coaching job and then became the varsity coach this season when it became available.

“It’s different,” Trapasso said. “At JV, you’re trying to develop the girls and everyone gets to play. Last year, I just focused on helping the girls become better players and develop skills. On varsity, you still want to do that, but now I’m expecting them to be at a higher level already. And I want them to go even farther.”

The Falcons finished near the top of the highly competitive NFL last season, behind traditional powers North Tonawanda and Kenmore West.

Trapasso can look to some good returning talent from that squad, as well as some youngsters she herself coached last year on the junior varsity squad.

Back are seniors Angela Campagnolo, Alex DeSantis, Sarah Hillman, Nina Pietrobono and Whitney Taglienti, as well as junior Christina Nolan. DeSantis runs the offense as setter, using Pietrobono up the middle and Campagnolo and Taglienti as outside hitters. Nolan and Hillman are back row specialists.

Joining them is senior Julie Almendinger, a defensive specialist. Trapasso also has a good crop of juniors hitters in Caitlin Gemmer, Carly Gruarin, Jessica Hughes and Brianna Spenny. Nina Fedak and Arielle Prezioso are solid defenders. Sophomore hitter Jenna Rath also has turned some heads with her power from the outside.

“I think we have some good hitters,” Trapasso said. “And defensively, just from the beginning of the season, we’ve already gotten a lot better.”

The Falcons opened the season with a five-game win over Grand Island last week. While she was happy to get that first career varsity coaching victory and get a league win under her belt, Trapasso knows that she and her team have plenty of work to do if they are to perform at the level she’s used to.

Trapasso knows that her team isn’t quite ready for a state championship - at least, not yet - but she sees a lot of upward mobility for the Falcons.

“It’s hard to say what my overall goal is,” Trapasso said. “I want to make my team play at its highest level at least once during the season. I’m not sure yet what that is until I see how much they continue to improve. I’d like to finish in the top three in the league - I’d love to win it, if we can.”