Syracuse, N.Y. — The 2025 All-Central New York boys volleyball team features 20 athletes chosen by syracuse.com reporters.
The boys volleyball athlete of the year finalists are Owen Dougherty of Jamesville-DeWitt, Ryan Leahey of Cicero-North Syracuse, Keagan Misencik of Liverpool, and Jeremiah Plewak of Living Word Academy.
The winner will be revealed at syracuse.com‘s | The Post Standard’s annual All-CNY Sports Awards presented by Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. The show is set for June 23, 2026, inside the Liverpool High School Auditorium. More details can be found here.
Here are the 2025 All-CNY boys volleyball all-stars.
Amaree Burton
School: Liverpool
Class: Junior
Position: Middle
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Currently playing basketball.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My parents because of how hard they work to provide me with opportunities.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? My favorite memory this season was playing in a tournament in Buffalo and going on a hike with the team.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The ability to stop play and rewind time.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? I’d trade places with Victor Wembanyama because I want to know how it feels to be that tall.
Rocco Cambareri
School: East Syracuse Minoa
Class: Senior
Position: Middle blocker
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? I don’t know what college yet, but I want to be a physician’s assistant or an MD in family medicine.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is my dad. He’s always been there and pushed me to be the best I can be at everything I do, whether it’s academics, sports, or music.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? My favorite volleyball memory with this team was reverse sweeping Living Word Academy. My other favorite memory with this team was going to Destiny USA and completing two escape rooms together with the odds stacked against us.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? If I could have one superpower, I would love to be able to fly
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? I would trade places with Aaron Judge.
Jack Copeland
School: Cicero-North Syracuse
Class: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? College volleyball, art and design, undecided on which college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? Father and grandfather. Both have made great families and support everything they do.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? The candy bar tournament.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Flying, so I could disguise it as my vertical and jump higher.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Donald Trump. I get to be the president.
Marisa Pankow
Owen Dougherty
School: Jamesville-DeWitt
Class: Senior
Position: Opposite/setter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? I am currently playing club volleyball for 315 Volleyball Club. I’m planning on studying finance in college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspirers have been the players who played for J-D before me.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? My favorite memory by far is winning the state championship.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would have super speed.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Tyler Toney from “Dude Perfect.”
Cullin Findlay
School: Central Square
Class: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Playing college volleyball at Mount Aloysius College while also studying biology.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My family and friends, but most recently my current travel coach at SVC, Mike McIntosh.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Winning our first game of the year in a very hard-fought, five-set match.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The power to manipulate gravity.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? A professional volleyball athlete.
Anthony Fogel
School: East Syracuse Minoa
Class: Senior
Position: Libero
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Plan to attend college and study mechanical engineering.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My parents. They inspire me to be hard-working and strive for my goals.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? The Penfield Tournament because it was a great bonding experience and we won our bracket.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The ability to fly.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Thomas Edison.
Joseph Gardner
School: East Syracuse Minoa
Class: Junior
Position: Right side
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Hopefully, play in college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My grandpa. He was my biggest supporter.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? My favorite moment was sectionals.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To teleport.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Lebron because he’s the GOAT.
Kevin Greer
School: Cicero-North Syracuse
Class: Junior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Playing volleyball in college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My dad.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Winning the sectional championship.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Flight.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? TJ DeFalco.
Marisa Pankow
Zachary Hildreth
School: Jamesville-DeWitt
Class: Junior
Position: Libero
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Play lacrosse in the spring and then come back in my senior year.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My older brother Kenny.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Beating Eastport South Manor in the state championship.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Super speed.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Robert Irwin.
Marisa Pankow
Patrick Horton
School: Fayetteville-Manlius
Class: Senior
Position: Setter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? I’m playing CYO Basketball.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My family, who have always shown up.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Halloween practice.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleport.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? My teammate Omar Thib.
Eddie Kuzawski
School: Oswego
Class: junior
Ryan Leahey
School: Cicero-North Syracuse
Class: Senior
Position: Middle hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Study sports management and visual communications. Unified Basketball in the spring.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? Coach Freytag.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Sweeping Liverpool in the sectional finals.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Ability to go back in time.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Baker Mayfield in college.
Ryan Levy
School: Baldwinsville
Class: Senior
Position: Middle blocker
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? I am playing lacrosse in the spring and after that, I am attending a 4-year college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My coaches.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Winning in a reverse sweep against Syracuse in the quarterfinals.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Josh Allen
dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Chase Loveless
School: Liverpool
Class: Junior
Position: OH/O
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Hope to play in college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? Anthony Pezzino.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Preseason tournament at Clarence High School.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Probably any celebrity.
Keagan Misencik
School: Liverpool
Class: Junior
Position: Setter/OP
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Hoping to play in college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My family.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? All of the times on the bus.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Moni Nikolov
Lia Garnes
Ethan Nguyen
School: Syracuse City
Class: Junior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Working off- season with club volleyball while bowling and tennis.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My family.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Hitting a total of 500 kills.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Control time.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? LeBron Raymone James
Loic Nshimiye
School: Living Word Academy
Class: Senior
Position: Middle blocker
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? College.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My coach, Isaiah.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? In the middle of a game, the refs stopped the set for five minutes.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Predict the future.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? George Washington.
Jeremiah Plewak
School: Living Word Academy
Class: Senior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? Outdoor track and field in the spring and then on to college.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My coach, Isaiah Rocine.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Playing at the Bethlehem Tournament.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Fly
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Someone with tickets to a Bills game
Marisa Pankow
Benjamin Resig
School: Fayetteville-Manlius
Class: Senior
Position: Outside
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? College
Who has been your biggest inspiration? My parents.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Breaking the J-D regular-season win streak.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Tread Rosenthal
Marisa Pankow
Luke Schaefer
School: Jamesville-DeWitt
Class: Junior
Position: Outside hitter
Future plans? College? Playing any winter or spring sports? I am playing baseball in the spring.
Who has been your biggest inspiration? For volleyball, coach Cline.
What’s your favorite memory with your team this season? Going to states and winning.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleport.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Owen Dougherty
Coach of the Year
Jake Cline
Sport: Boys volleyball
School: Jamesville-DeWitt
No. of years coaching? 6
Who inspires you to coach in your sport? My dad was always my inspiration. When I was young, he always showed me that through hard work and belief that you could achieve anything. I didn’t always want to work hard when I was a kid, but I feel like he eventually rubbed off on me and now as an adult that is what I live by.
What is your favorite sports memory from this season? The easy answer would probably winning the state championship, but really for me it was watching the guys grow into great volleyball players and great people. Seeing how important this sport and our program is to them means a lot to me as their coach.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? This might be a corny answer, but I have no interest in being anyone else.
What is your favorite quote from your favorite sports movie? “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.” I always loved the movie “Dodgeball” and that scene is very funny.
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