Ylan Tapper
Sport: Volleyball
School: Garfield
Class: Junior. Age: 17
Accomplishment: Tapper finished with 20 kills – including the match-winner – when Garfield beat Bergenfield, 20-25, 29-27, 25-23, in the Bergen County quarterfinals.
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Story by Sean Farrell / NorthJersey.com
Ylan Tapper had the winning kill. The Black Mamba had the unlikely assist.
Tapper showed poise and power last Saturday when Garfield came back to beat Bergenfield in a close, three-set match in the Bergen County boys volleyball quarterfinals.
Not only did he finish off a season-high 20 points to continue a magical year for the first-time divisional champs, he also took charge in a pivotal moment with the Boilermakers at match point, up 24-23.
During a timeout, the outside hitter came off the court and called his shot.
“I told my team in the huddle that I promise you guys if I get the ball, the ball is hitting the floor and we’re winning this game,” Tapper said. “They put the trust in me and I did exactly what I said I would do. It felt amazing. It felt like a bunch of weight lifted off my shoulder.”
So much of Garfield’s success this year has come from his right shoulder and ability to soar high over the net. Checking in at “6-foot-2 with shoes on”, Tapper has led the Boilermakers to their winningest season in more than a decade while racking up a total of 276 kills.
Coach Aaron Khan thinks he might be the best junior hitter across the state.
“With his leadership, the kids look up to him,” Khan said. “We tell him all the time, be the best player out on the court because you are the best player. He can pass, he can serve, he can kill, he can attack, he can block, he can do it all.”
Tapper is still fairly new to the sport, having played basketball all his life before switching over his freshman year. When classmate Emily Tepale told him to come to an open gym, he was skeptical at first and said he didn’t really like the sport. But after changing his mind, Tapper cracked the varsity lineup as a freshman as a server off the bench.
To expedite the learning process, he now plays up a year with the Digs 18 Red club team.
“Once when I went, I was like this is actually fun,” Tapper said. “I kept on going and ever since then, I never stopped playing.”
When asked about stepping up in crunch time, Ylan (pronounced ee-LON) said he tells himself a quote from the late great Kobe Bryant about having trust in himself. Tapper has also drawn inspiration closer to home while pursuing a college career and a path in pre-med or physical training.
“My father was always a physical therapist or personal trainer,” Tapper said. “He grew up playing sports and I want to stay in sports my whole life even after I graduate. I don’t want to be sitting at a chair. I like running around and I like being active and helping people. That’s kind of my life.”
While Garfield (21-2) was knocked out in the Bergen County semifinals on Wednesday, Tapper still has more to accomplish for himself and his teammates. Tapper is hoping to bring Garfield its first state title and help his setter, Roger Chavez, reach 500 assists. One of the other objectives is to grow as a player and a person.
“I found myself last year as kind of a mad person on the court,” Tapper said. “This year, I took it as I’m going to be 100 percent leading and no anger towards my teammates, just love. I’m always trying to make sure that I get the job done at all times.”
