Much of the current success of the Cinnaminson boys’ volleyball team stems from the experience gained last season, when two varsity players were injured, forcing the underclassmen to step into bigger roles.
“I think many of the players last year gained a lot of experience because we had two seniors get hurt. A lot of underclassmen had to kind of step in and play last year, which means they came back with more experience this year,” assistant coach Charles Casey said.
This experience is reflected in the team finishing with a regular-season record of 18-9, including a 5-1 record in the Patriot Division with an additional previous four-game winning streak, including two wins against the team’s rivals, Collingswood 2-0 and Pennsauken 2-1. The team also pulled off an impressive win against one of its rivals, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, at 2-0.
“Traditionally, Pennsauken has always been one of our biggest rivals, but they’ve been kind of down the last couple of years, along with Collingswood. Some of the Mercer County schools, like West Windsor North and West Windsor South, also fit into the rival category,” Casey said.
The team’s strong performance this season has given them much to look forward to, like winning the Patriot division, securing a spot as the top-four playoff seed, and allowing the team to host two home playoff games. The reason the team has been able to set these goals is the strong friendship among the players.
“All of us on the team are very close-knit and we have strong friendships on and off the court. We’re very supportive of each other, and we always hype each other up,” junior Jaiden Shimp said. “We have a lot of chemistry as a team, and that really helps us to be able to run plays and communicate effectively.”
The strong chemistry amongst the team has become one of their biggest strengths this season. Having that strong chemistry drives the team’s communication during games and allows them to work together as a unit, rather than as individual players.
“Communication is probably the biggest part of volleyball, especially on our team. Literally with every single point that we score, we always have to communicate with each other,” senior Shane Burke said. “We have great chemistry not just on the court, but off the court as well, since we’re all friends. We also all go to team dinners. Overall, I’d say communication might be the biggest thing about our team and the driving factor of our success as well.”
Senior captain Russell Patchell shared the same sentiment.
“Usually, our team has good communication because of how well we are able to play with each other. The team friendship is strong and is one of the driving factors of our success,” Patchell said.
The team’s strong dynamic has allowed many players to stand out and contribute to the team’s overall success.
“So this year, the standout players have kind of been all around. So, Shimp has made big improvements on his setting, and he’s got 210 assists. Patchell has 131 digs, which is great. And we have a balanced scoring between Naythen Heim with 57, Christopher Leetz with 83 kills, and Alex McGettigan leading with 97 kills,” Casey said.
For Shimp, the improvement across the roster has been one of the best parts of the season.
“Just seeing the improvement throughout the season, ’cause, like last year, we weren’t too successful, and this year we have improved to 9-4,” Shimp said. “So it’s really fun to be able to see how everyone has improved and all the jumps that we’ve made.”
For the players, the most rewarding part about being on the team is the relationships they have built through the sport and have maintained, both on and off the court.
“My favorite part about being on the boys volleyball team is probably the friendships I [have] made with my teammates. I have just gained a lot of friends and a lot of memories,” Burke said.
As the 2026 season ended, six seniors are set to graduate: DeAndre Waters, Brett Hess, Russell Patchell, Shane Burke, Nathan Heim, and Chris Leetz.
