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LaGuardia's Cassius a star on the court and off
By Zachary Braziller November 6, 2008
George Cassius carries around a large, black binder these days, to games and college visits. In it is several sheets of paper and photos. But these aren’t just any mementos or memories.
They are the tangible version of his daughter Hannah’s life, both academically and athletically.
And, oh, what a life it is.
The cover is a photo of the LaGuardia volleyball star posing with Misty May, the top-ranked beach volleyball player in the world. On the inside are academic achievements, like when she was named to the National Society of High School Scholars for her 4.0 grade point average, or athletic gifts, like a photo of Cassius, with her beach volleyball partner Magda Makarewicz, after winning her second gold medal in doubles at the USA Junior Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualifier in Long Beach, N.Y. This year, the pair won the 18-and-under division; last year they won the 16-and-under bracket.
There is obviously more to Cassius than a binder, more than just a gifted student and talented volleyball player. She is worldly, having traveled to several different continents, and is dedicated to LaGuardia, beyond the classroom and volleyball court.
She was the only girl on the boys’ tennis team as a freshman, and played soccer the last two years, including the Athletics’ 2006 PSAL Class B city championship team. She is the student body vice president, the president of the ping-pong club and writes movie reviews for the school newspaper and satirical columns for the Turnip.
Classmates are surprised when first meeting Cassius that not only does she do all these things so successfully, but also she finds time to excel them in them all while keeping up with the heavy workload at LaGuardia. Even her mother, Maria, wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. But Cassius never slowed down in one area to make it seem like she has too much on her plate.
“You do what you love doing,” Cassius said. “If you have a passion for it, go for it. No matter what it is, no matter how much times it takes up in your day.”
It is why she has always made sure volleyball has a role in her life. On the court, she is special, a talented libero/setter who plays every position for LaGuardia, one of the reasons the program moved up from the ‘B’ division after her freshman season and is second in Manhattan 5-A. For the Athletics, the senior captain plays all over the court, from the outside to middle, blocking and hitting and setting almost all at once. She leads them in assists, blocks and digs.
“She’s always been very consistent, someone who everyone looks up to from freshmen to people in her grade,” junior Sarah Tembeckjian said. “Everyone looks up to her for advice. She’s always positive, even if we’re down. She’s the rock of our team. “
Cassius credits her consistency to Wallyball, a game her father created and she learned to play at a young age. Similar to volleyball but played on a racquetball court, she started bumping balls against the wall at Eastern Athletic Club in Brooklyn by the age of 3.
“It makes you kind of dizzy sometimes; balls are coming at you at all angles,” she said. “It helped me hone the skills to become the player I am now. When I bring the girls from the high-school team, they end up running into the walls.”
Said her father George: “It’s much more reflexive, you have to react quicker. The skills you get in Wallyball, you can’t get anywhere else.”
The same can be same of her high-school experience, as a leader in public forums and on the volleyball court. Cassius is yet to decide on a college. She has drawn interest from Division III schools NYU and Vassar, but is also interested in Boston University and Cornell.
“I know I want to play some type of volleyball in college,” she said.
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com
They are the tangible version of his daughter Hannah’s life, both academically and athletically.
And, oh, what a life it is.
The cover is a photo of the LaGuardia volleyball star posing with Misty May, the top-ranked beach volleyball player in the world. On the inside are academic achievements, like when she was named to the National Society of High School Scholars for her 4.0 grade point average, or athletic gifts, like a photo of Cassius, with her beach volleyball partner Magda Makarewicz, after winning her second gold medal in doubles at the USA Junior Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualifier in Long Beach, N.Y. This year, the pair won the 18-and-under division; last year they won the 16-and-under bracket.
There is obviously more to Cassius than a binder, more than just a gifted student and talented volleyball player. She is worldly, having traveled to several different continents, and is dedicated to LaGuardia, beyond the classroom and volleyball court.
She was the only girl on the boys’ tennis team as a freshman, and played soccer the last two years, including the Athletics’ 2006 PSAL Class B city championship team. She is the student body vice president, the president of the ping-pong club and writes movie reviews for the school newspaper and satirical columns for the Turnip.
Classmates are surprised when first meeting Cassius that not only does she do all these things so successfully, but also she finds time to excel them in them all while keeping up with the heavy workload at LaGuardia. Even her mother, Maria, wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. But Cassius never slowed down in one area to make it seem like she has too much on her plate.
“You do what you love doing,” Cassius said. “If you have a passion for it, go for it. No matter what it is, no matter how much times it takes up in your day.”
It is why she has always made sure volleyball has a role in her life. On the court, she is special, a talented libero/setter who plays every position for LaGuardia, one of the reasons the program moved up from the ‘B’ division after her freshman season and is second in Manhattan 5-A. For the Athletics, the senior captain plays all over the court, from the outside to middle, blocking and hitting and setting almost all at once. She leads them in assists, blocks and digs.
“She’s always been very consistent, someone who everyone looks up to from freshmen to people in her grade,” junior Sarah Tembeckjian said. “Everyone looks up to her for advice. She’s always positive, even if we’re down. She’s the rock of our team. “
Cassius credits her consistency to Wallyball, a game her father created and she learned to play at a young age. Similar to volleyball but played on a racquetball court, she started bumping balls against the wall at Eastern Athletic Club in Brooklyn by the age of 3.
“It makes you kind of dizzy sometimes; balls are coming at you at all angles,” she said. “It helped me hone the skills to become the player I am now. When I bring the girls from the high-school team, they end up running into the walls.”
Said her father George: “It’s much more reflexive, you have to react quicker. The skills you get in Wallyball, you can’t get anywhere else.”
The same can be same of her high-school experience, as a leader in public forums and on the volleyball court. Cassius is yet to decide on a college. She has drawn interest from Division III schools NYU and Vassar, but is also interested in Boston University and Cornell.
“I know I want to play some type of volleyball in college,” she said.
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com