Staten Island, NY | Head Coach Lak Wai (Larry) Ng and the College of Staten Island men’s volleyball program is proud to announce the celebratory signing of two outstanding seniors from Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, Sami Jindyeh and Zachery Welch. The pair are promised to complement a healthy CSI recruiting class that is expected to yield big dividends.
Jindyeh is building on a fine career with the Tigers, playing on the team’s Right Side. He also swam for Fort Hamilton, and will look to do the same at CSI. He is very high on what CSI had to offer him.
“I like the school and the brotherhood between the athletes there,” Jindyeh said. “The people in general set up a great atmosphere.”
A City Championship finalist for three years while at Fort Hamilton, Jindyeh has won numerous Most Valuable Player awards with the Tigers. He thinks he can help complement the Dolphins’ roster beginning in 2019.
“I feel like I can help turn CSI volleyball into a top team,” he said. “As for swimming, I will just try and do my best and hope to add to the program.”
The son of Tracey and Ouafa Jindyeh, Sami has an older sibling, Ali. His coach is anxious to get him in and having him work within the CSI system. “Sami is a very solid player and a leader with his high school program,” he said. “He is a quiet leader which is appealing. He is a doer. We are hoping that his championship experience at the high school level will help with our depth and he can make a quick transition to the college game.”
His teammate, Zachery Welch, is expected to play a role on the Dolphins front line next season. He spent a majority of his time during his career squarely at the middle of the net as an attacker and blocker, while also switching to outside hitter on the attack. He was high on CSI’s great marriage of a quality education and the ability to play the sport he loves.
“I chose CSI because there are so many opportunities here to further my education in Business Marketing and I get to play volleyball, which I am very passionate about,” he said.
Solid all over the court, Welch belted out 42 kills this season with the Tigers, complete with 85 defensive digs. He also posted 11 service aces when stepping to the service line. Welch hopes to do the little things to help build CSI into a contender.
“I can have an impact on the team because I’m athletic, hard-working, and often the first to come in and the last to leave,” he said. “I’m willing to do anything to make the team better.”
His coach agrees, and knows he will fit in nicely with the program. “Zachery is another foundational player from his very competitive high school program,” said Ng. “I am really excited with his attitude and approach to the game. I envision both he and Sami adding solid depth and stability to our program.”
Son of Maxine Welch and Leslie Collymoore, Zachery has two older siblings, Kimily and Gabriel.
The CSI men’s volleyball team is one of CSI’s newest program, having turned varsity for the first time in 2015. They finished 6-16 a year ago, their first under Ng. With a first recruiting cycle underway, the FHHS pair are set to join others to list CSI as a CUNYAC playoff contender and beyond.
