Danielle parhizkaran/staff file photo: Blue Tide’s Piotr Namiotko improved his defense and posted a North Jersey-best 512 kills, 76 blocks and 31 aces.
By GREG TARTAGLIA
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD | The Record
Piotr Namiotko’s closest friends were with him at the state boys volleyball final June 9. He even got to block a few spikes from one of them.
The Harrison senior developed the skills to help turn his team into a champion by playing club volleyball in the off-season. Club teammate Liam Maxwell of Southern Regional wound up as an opponent in the state title match.
“Piotr’s one of my best friends that I’ve made through volleyball,” said Maxwell, whose Rams won, 25-21, 25-21. “Playing against him, we loved the challenge.”
That the best player in South Jersey spoke so highly of his counterpart from the North put an exclamation point on Namiotko’s selection as The Record boys volleyball Player of the Year.
As a junior, the 6-foot-5 middle hitter led Harrison to its first league, county and sectional titles. Still, he wanted more, and not just in the trophy case.
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Also congratulations to the entire team on their selection as North Jersey’s #1 team for the 2016 season !