February 10, 2020 – By NJP

There are many stories out there of high school kids who may battle some adversity. Many of us are shielded from these happenings but some are exposed to events that are just tough. Unfortunately, the ability to deal with adversity is the difference between winners and losers in this world. Freddie Marchitto is a winner, no matter what the score is at the end of the game or what record Harrison has at the end of the year.

Freddie wants to make a big impact for his senior year and continues to play club volleyball on SideOutSports top team 18-1. He continues to improve and work on different aspects of his game that can make a difference for his high school team. We expect Freddie will be “the man in the middle” for 2020 with the graduation of Kevin Molina in 2019. He collected 89 kills and 30 blocks as a junior and we expect his time and role to expand in 2020.

Harrison comes of a 22-11 season and despite losing some high level senior talent, is still expected to be a top 20 team in the sea of 150 New Jersey High School teams. But if all goes as Freddie plans, the Tide rolling in over the Sectional Finals could be Blue.

We reached out to Hudson County coaching legend Nick Landy of Harrison for his views on Marchitto. He shared “Freddie is a player who has improved every year with us. Partly because he grew physically each year, and he also has become more skilled and technically sound because of hard work in the off season.” Coach added “I am hoping for a big year year from him his senior year.

Like many players in our interview project, you just get a sense about who Freddie is by his thoughtful answers. He is the kind of kid you just want on your team. We wish him well, with an angel on his shoulder.

Here is our interview with Freddie…

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a senior at High Tech High School in the class of 2020, but they don’t have sports so I play for my hometown Harrison High School. 

How long have you played volleyball and what inspired you to take up volleyball initially?

I started playing volleyball in 8th grade, but I started taking it more seriously in High School. I started playing volleyball because I wanted to try something new and eventually I learned how to play, met a group of great people, and from there I started to love the game. 

What are your metrics/details? Height, vertical, position, club team, etc… What’s your favorite position to play?

Middle Blocker is my main position but I’ll play any position that hits in the front row. 

Weight: 163

Height: 6’1

Club team: Side Out Sports 18-1

Vertical: 30 inch

Which player last season was the toughest competitor that you faced and why?

My toughest game was against Old Bridge and it wasn’t just one player that gave me a hard time it was their whole team. I had a hard time blocking because they always stayed in system even on bad passes so I’d have to stay committed to the middle. This gave their right side more room to swing.  

How will your high school team do in the upcoming season? Do you have a lot of returning players? What will be the key to success?

I feel like Harrison has the potential to win the Hudson County Finals and even win Sectionals but this could only happen if everyone makes a commitment to work on their weaknesses. We lost quite a few seniors including our setter, middle blocker, and right side but we have returning players that have been training to continue their legacies. Our key to success this year would be our serve receive, serving, and our defense. If we can force free balls through our serves and pass well consistently then we will put the ball down easily. Another key is to stay humble, communicate on every play, and stay positive during harsh situations. 

Who is your support group?

My support group is my friends that do their best to show up to my home games and hype me up during them. I love to play in front of them and put on a show. But my biggest supporter is my Mom, she comes to all of my games and is always there for me. She has been through so much and still puts me first. She’s the reason why I’m strong and happy and I’ll always be there for her too. I also play the game for my Dad, he passed away in Feb. 2019 and every time I play I think of him. He was always proud of me and I know he’s with me every step of the way. 

Tell us about your high school coach? Club Coach?

Whenever I think of my high school coaches I think of good cop bad cop. They usually switch roles on different days but they both end up getting us to get the job done. Coach Landy is the one who motivates me to dig deep and focus and Coach Sabe is the one who keeps stats of everything and gives us strategies to win. For Club my coaches are Jason and Bez. Coach Jason helped me a lot with my ball control and serving. Coach Bez helped with giving me tips on my blocking. They are all great volleyball coaches and helped me become the volleyball player I am today. 

Which schools are your biggest rivals?

Harrison’s biggest rival is Kearny in every sport. This year we plan on being the better volleyball program by beating them again during our season. But we created a bigger rivalry with Saint Peter’s Prep last year. We lost to them in the Hudson County Finals and we are planning on getting them back this year. 

What do you do during the off season to stay in shape and prepare for next year?

This year I’ve been going to the gym a lot more to get stronger, but I also play club for Side Out so that I can play all year round. I also go to Harrison open gyms to work on my services and just get some touches in. 

Who is your favorite teammate and why?

They’re all family to me!