Boys' Volleyball Athlete of the Year: Phil Nemirow

Posted 6/24/14

Phil Nemirow was on the court in 2012 when Pilgrim won its first-ever boys’ volleyball state championship. He was only a sophomore, in the game because of an injury to the starter, but the moment …

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Boys' Volleyball Athlete of the Year: Phil Nemirow

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Phil Nemirow was on the court in 2012 when Pilgrim won its first-ever boys’ volleyball state championship. He was only a sophomore, in the game because of an injury to the starter, but the moment is one he won’t forget.

“There were great players on that team, and I just watched what they were doing and the way they were playing,” Nemirow said. “I wanted to be the same kind of player so I kind of worked on getting the consistency down.”

As the leaders of the championship team graduated and Pilgrim moved up to Division I, Nemirow kept doing it and became the most consistent performer on a team trying to lay a foundation at the D-I level. The Pats wouldn’t make the playoffs again in Nemirow’s career, but there were positive steps and Nemirow led the way.

“He was just a very consistent player,” said Pilgrim head coach Mike McGiveron. “He really worked hard on playing in the back row. He was our most consistent blocker. He had the most aces on the team. Just overall, he was a really good player for us.”

Nemirow still remembers the beginning. He’d gotten some varsity time in that 2012 season, but it didn’t quite prepare him for what would happen in the championship, when middle blocker Matt McCabe injured his ankle and had to leave the match. Nemirow stepped right up.

“I just remember freaking out,” he said.

But the experience set the course.

“That team was perfect and learning from them really helped me when we moved up to D-I,” he said.

Nemirow helped lead the way as the Pats transitioned to Division I in 2013. They had their struggles but made big improvements this past season. They just missed out on a playoff berth.

“We weren’t shell-shocked to be in D-I this year,” Nemirow said. “I think we played a lot better.”

The work of Nemirow and his teammates this season should help the Pats as they continue to build a program that can contend with the state’s best. Nemirow graduated and will head to the University of Rhode Island.

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