King’s Fork High School senior Giancarlo Cecchini was voted Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week after a strong game in a win against Western Branch High School.

The King’s Fork boys volleyball team has been having a solid year so far. They have been led by Cecchini, who has been able to take his game to the next level. Last week in a matchup against Western Branch, he had six kills, 11 assists and three aces. It was a much-needed win for the Bulldogs, who had recently broken out of a losing streak.

“I felt pretty on,” Cecchini said. “I was putting the ball where it needed to go, and I was really consistent.”

Cecchini had a strong junior year for the Bulldogs last year, earning an All-District selection. He is likely to become one again this season. He wanted to improve all parts of his game coming into the season, but one, in particular, he wanted to focus on was his leadership both vocally and through his play, and it has paid off for him so far this season.

“I do my best to do both,” Cecchini said. “I try to set an example for the rest of the guys, and I also try to encourage my teammates with my words as well. I’m definitely always looking at ways to improve my leadership.”

His coach, Angie Gatling, has taken notice of his gamesmanship and the way he competes on the court over the last couple of seasons, whether at practice or in a game. Gatling mentioned that the senior pushes himself beyond 100 percent for the team. He is motivated by the opportunity to play the game of volleyball, and it shows through everything else.

“Just the love of the game motivates me,” he said. “There is hardly anything that feels better than picking that ball up that’s about to drop or spiking one down for the point. I just love it.”

With the postseason on the horizon for the Bulldogs, Cecchini mentioned how far he feels his team has come this season. King’s Fork plays in a tough district, and every night is a battle; however, he still has a goal to push his team to the state tournament if possible.

“I’m really proud of how we’ve done so far,” the senior said. “I feel like this team and I have come a long way this season.”

As a senior, Cecchini admitted that at times it has been hard not to press too hard to make plays. You want to make your last go-around the best one, but it has been important to him to remain focused and get the job done.