Volleyball Garners Nine All-Region Accolades: Senior Connor Oldani Named Region Player of the Year; Oldani COY
The Brophy volleyball team earned nine honors bestowed by the coaches among the Premier Region awards announced on Tuesday. Senior Connor Oldani was recognized for his dominating season with Premier Region Player of the Year, while Head Coach Tony Oldani was named the Premier Region Coach of the Year after leading his team to the Region and State titles.
Connor Oldani, a Grand Canyon University commit, led the state in kills (543) and hitting percentage (.522), ranking fourth and seventh nationally.
The 2024 6A State Champions had seven players earn first, second, or honorable mention accolades. Seniors Caden Thompson and Carson Collier-Ehrich joined junior Colin Zimmerman on the first team. Thompson was named to the first team after recording 298 kills on the season. Carson Collier-Ehrich ranked sixth in the state in hitting percentage at .436, while Zimmerman was seventh nationally in assists (1,038, 9.1 per set) as the first-team setter. Sophomore Jude Keene was the first-team libero after ranking among state leaders in digs.
Senior Ben Cugno was named to the second team, recording 241 kills on the season.
Senior Andrew Bongoyan and Jai Patel were honorable mention selections.
Brophy College Preparatory celebrated its 76th commencement on Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in Robson Gymnasium. This graduation was significant for the Class of 2024, who began their high school journey remotely due to the pandemic.
The Class of 2024 demonstrated resilience and connection despite the challenges of starting their education online. Their unity and adaptability were evident throughout their time at Brophy, embodying their class theme: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Valedictorian Doer Leo He delivered a memorable speech, drawing parallels to the movie "Finding Nemo" and encouraging his classmates to persevere with the phrase, "Just keep swimming." President Bob Ryan and Principal Jim Bopp also spoke, highlighting the graduates' resilience and urging them to be agents of positive change.
The ceremony concluded with a strong sense of pride and accomplishment, celebrating the Class of 2024's journey from remote learning to a united and triumphant graduation.