Friday, October 9, 2026
Lynbrook boys’ volleyball is going on a tear this season with a record of 6-3 after sweeping Manhasset Oct. 5.
Led by a heavily senior squad, coach Charlie Appel is nothing but elated to see the fruits of his labor after four years of starting the program.
Lynbrook hasn’t had JV boys volleyball until this year, so the learning curve for athletes and coaches alike is steep, but they’re all learning on the way.
“I have a crew of seniors that have been together since they were freshman; our core group of guys is really clicking well together,” he said.
Starring are two prominent players are senior outside hitters Jake Zols (112 kills) and Ethan Galo (84), who Appel said the offense typically runs through.
In Andrew Charpentier, who Appel labeled a huge defensive force, alongside libero Joe Ciaccio (95 kills), the coach is finding that this defensive set up might be his squad’s route to success.
“[Ciaccio] was my setter last year, but this year he came in with the mindset of wanting to be the leader of the defense,” Appel explained. “He’s pretty fresh in that role, as a libero, but he’s doing really well with it. He gets all over the court, he’s fired up.”
“He’s very mature, very smart and has great volleyball knowledge,” Appel said. “He is a very important piece of our strategy and our overall presence out there.”
Just as crucial is setter Ryan Kalanthroff, who Appel said has improved his defensive game tremendously between last season and this year. Kalanthroff had 273 assists through nine matches.
“He’s coming into his own,” Appel said.
But there’s one other kind of leader, the kind that makes sure spirits are up when the score might not be, and that’s right-side hitter Benji Dichter.
“He’s our energy guy,” Appel said. “Last year, as a sophomore, Benji was my unsung hero. He’s the leader of the cheers, he gets the guys going; if we need a little push, he’s the guy that brings us to that.”
It also helps that he’s a good volleyball player, Appel says, noting that Dichter can be found all over the court if it means keeping the ball up to maintain defense.
There’s also Nolan Pearsall, one of the middles, Appel said is one of the leaders on and off the court, despite being only a junior.
A point of pride for Appel is how his team can course correct on their own, without the coaches harping on the team, especially since the goal is clear and tangible: be the last team standing come playoffs.
“For me, I’ve been calling myself a facilitator; these guys, they have their goals, most of the time if they mess up on the court, I don’t have to say anything,” Appel said. “They’re talking to each other, they’re righting their wrongs, they’re fixing the communication, so I know they’re confident in what they can do.”
