April 9, 2020 – By NJP

Shane Conley was one of the standout sophomores last season in the state of New Jersey. He knocked down 112 kills which was 7th overall for sophs and 153 digs which was 12th overall in NJ for underclassman. Shane’s overall play and versatility will be a major strength for the team favored to win the NorthWest.

The Falcons have 9 returning varsity players and have a balanced varsity team of all age levels and classes. They lost two high quality players with NJP 1st team All State hitter JT Wojcik and setter Logan Kandel who put almost 500 assists in 48 sets. Shane will need to step in as the offensive force for this season along with senior Sean Whalen. Senior Mark Schlomann will anchor the defense.

We expect Coach Marc Gaydos to have his team rocking and at the top of the NorthWest. We expect them to post similar numbers to last years 17-4 record. We also expect the Falcons to be in the top 40 in NJ.

From watching Shane play for the Garden State Elite 18 club team this winter, he can be dominant in games. If he can stay consistent, he can be a real force in the NorthWest as well as in sectional play in North 1.

Here is our interview with Shane…

Tell us a bit about yourself? (What school do you attend, what town do you live? What year are you graduating?, family?, etc…)

I attend high school at Jefferson Township High School and live in Jefferson Township. I am graduating in 2021. I live with my Mom, my Dad, and my brother and I have a dog. I plan on pursuing a career in
mechanical engineering.

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

I have played volleyball for 3 years now. Before I heard how great of a sport volleyball was, I had already considered playing in high school because my aunt had played for Seton Hall University, which was my initial inspiration to play. Mid-season my freshman year, I was enjoying the time I spent on the court so much and my high school volleyball coach, Coach Marc Gaydos, told me I would have a future with volleyball if I focused on the sport. This gave me a lot of inspiration to keep playing and work hard.

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

I am 6’2”, have a standing reach of 8’1”, have a vertical of 31”, and play for Garden State Elite Volleyball Club during club season. My favorite position is right side hitter.

How are you dealing with the current world situation with COVID-19?

With all the guidelines that have to be followed, it can be hard to keep up with the sport when you don’t have your teammates to play with everyday. However COVID cannot be considered a break. I have been making sure that I do not lose my vertical jump and keeping physically active as well as exercising to improve my vertical while following the temporary rules that are put in place.

Do you support potentially moving the spring season to summertime when the world will be safe again?

Yes, I completely support this idea. It would be great to get this season up and running again. Players build up to play in this season and they look forward to it, and for it to be taken away really stinks for a lot of players.

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?

My high school team is going to be very successful. The Jefferson Township high school team has 6 returning players that played at Garden State Elite. We have great chemistry and we learned a lot about the sport together the last two years which can make the best of a team. The key to success this year is to give 120% of our effort and physically and mentally outwork other teams all the time. With the volleyball experience that this team has gained, the Jefferson Township high school volleyball team has the potential to have the best winning record in Jefferson history if we fight our best against all of our opponents.

Who is your support group?

My Mom and Dad are definitely one of my support groups. While my mom is there to cheer me on and support me, my dad helps to evaluate me in games and practices as well as getting my video all together. My club coaches: Coach Jordan Elam, Coach Carl Skonberg, Coach Cody Barry, and Coach Evan Dorste support me all year round. My high school coach: Coach Gaydos also supports me all year round. And finally, a Jefferson Township graduate and volleyball player, JT Wojcik supports me all year round.

Tell us about your school?

Jefferson Township high school is a public school with around 970 students.

Tell us about your high school coach? Club Coach?

My high school coach, Coach Gaydos, played in college at Southampton College of LIU as a libero. My club coach, Coach Elam, played at Ramapo College as an outside.

Have you won any awards such as All County or All State or others?

Second Team All Conference for sophomore year.

NJP considers you as one of the top players in the state. Do you plan on playing in College? (If so, which ones are you looking at?)

I plan on playing in College. Some of the colleges I am looking at include Stevens Institute of Tech, NJIT, Wentworth Institute of Tech, and Wilkes University.

Tell us about your club team and how the season is going thus far (If applicable).

My club team did very well this year. We had our ups and downs, but we ended on a very strong note. The GSEVC 18 premier team ended with a 6-2 winning record at the Mizuno Boston Volleyball Festival.

What do you do during the offseason to stay in shape and prepare for next year? (Club team? Workouts? Watch VB vids? Go to College games?) Do you play other sports? (if so, which ones?)

During the offseason, I play soccer and club volleyball. During soccer I make sure to keep up with my volleyball workouts. Then when club volleyball comes, I play three times a week and I still complete my workouts. During club season, I attend a few college games and watch a lot of college and pro volleyball on YouTube and the television.

What is your favorite part of the NJP website?

My favorite part of the NJP website is the Tip From the Pros section.

Who is your favorite college or pro volleyball player and why?

My favorite pro volleyball player is Matthew Anderson because I learned a lot from watching him on YouTube. I aspire to be able to play just like him.