Two Revere High School volleyball players play club volleyball at an elite level and hope to become collegiate athletes.

Erinn Kahoe and Viktoria Farian play club volleyball during the off season of their regular high school volleyball season. Kahoe and Farian are both on the RHS women’s varsity volleyball team and both have set new records in volleyball for the school. Kahoe and Farian play for the same club volleyball team, Academy for Volleyball Cleveland (AVC).

Kahoe has played for AVC for 5 years now, and Farian has played with AVC for 2 years. They both currently play for the 17 National team. Kahoe’s and Farian’s head coach for the team is Bojan Miocinovic. Miocinovic has coached Kahoe and Farian for two years, has coached at AVC for four years and has coached for a total of seventeen years.

Miocinovic described the level of competition the team faces.

“The team plays on what is called a ‘national’ level here in the Ohio Valley Region and on the ‘open’ level outside of the region. Both of these levels are the highest levels you can play on. The team is ranked fourth in the Ohio Valley Region –although many have ranked us third– and thirty fourth in the country. We are also fortunate enough to have earned [an invitation] to nationals this year, [which will be] held in Indianapolis,” Miocinovic said.

Teams from all over the country come to the national tournament. Miocinovic explained how Kahoe and Farian are different from other elite volleyball players that he has coached before.

“They are both super competitive. Even though sometimes they do not show it in their personal lives, on the court, they are both great competitors. Both Erinn and Viktoria are very athletic as well. In order to be even considered a great volleyball player, you have to be an athlete first. Both have big personalities. Although different, they both have strong personalities and opinions . . . and as a coach, it is great to have players that are not afraid to voice their opinions,” Miocinovic said.

Miocinovic also commented on the difference between high school and club volleyball.

“Club volleyball is so much different from high school volleyball that the two are almost different sports. High school volleyball is great because of the school pride, and the competition can be dominated by 1 or 2 great players. Club volleyball at its highest level demands the team have 6 great players on the court at all times,” Miocinovic said.

Farian has played volleyball for eight years. Farian started playing volleyball because she grew up around her older sisters playing volleyball. Farian shared what the AVC team does at practices to get ready for a tournament.

“At one of the practices the week before a tournament, we work a lot of individual skills and perfecting all of them. In the other practice before tournaments, we work a lot as a team and scrimmage other AVC teams in order to know what we have to focus on at the tournament,” Farian said.

Farian explained the benefits of playing club volleyball.

“There are many benefits of playing for a club team. To start out, the competition level is much higher and faster than it is at the high school volleyball level. Another benefit would be that the players on your team are all very experienced and skilled. Also, during club season, there are a lot of different skills that you learn and perfect in order to make you an overall better player,” Farian said.

Kahoe started playing volleyball at different camps that she attended. She tried out for the Revere Middle School seventh grade volleyball team, and that was the first team she played with. Kahoe has played volleyball for five years. She shared what the club team does when they go to tournaments.

“Tournaments for national level teams range from two to four days. Depending on the length of the tournament the amount of games you play per day differs. [In] the average tournament, each team will play in two, [four] team pools and then go on to tournament play. The average tournament has [seven to ten] matches,” Kahoe said.

Kahoe has played for AVC since seventh grade. She explained why she decided to play for AVC.

“After my seventh grade school season was over, most the girls on my team were trying out for different club teams. I had heard of AVC from my neighbor who had played for them and had spoken very highly of the club and all the teams,” Kahoe said.

Kahoe and Farian both plan to play volleyball in college. Kahoe and Farian have not yet decided where they will continue their volleyball careers.