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Nearly a decade after taking over as Holland Patent’s volleyball head coach, Lisa Aiello found herself in a familiar spot. During Aiello’s first season in 2016, the Golden Knights stood just two points away from reaching the Section III Class B Final but fell to Canastota High School.
Nine years later, Holland Patent reached the Section III Class B Final. Again, it faced Canastota. But this time, the Golden Knights cruised to a four-set victory, capturing their first-ever title on Feb. 15.
As the players rushed to the center of the court, Aiello gradually joined them. She said she wanted to soak in the moment, reflecting on how far the Golden Knights had come.
Despite Aiello’s first-year success, Holland Patent struggled to piece success together. Before notching a 17-6 record and capturing the 2024-25 sectional title, the Golden Knights had a 28-45 record from 2019-24. To transform the program into a championship contender, Aiello credits the importance of mental toughness and strategic adjustments.
“It was an incredible turnaround,” Aiello said. “It was kind of a relief, a kind of excitement and astonishment.”
Well before becoming a coach, Aiello earned a varsity spot at the end of her sophomore year at Beaver River Central School (New York). As a captain, she helped the Beavers secure two sectional championships before continuing her volleyball career at Siena College.
These early experiences laid the foundation for Aiello’s coaching approach. Under the guidance of her former high school coach Gene Sunberg, she learned the technical aspects of the game and how to make decisions under pressure.
“When she was around volleyball, she made the right choices,” Sunberg said. “She’s always had that ability to be a communicator, and she is incredibly upbeat as a kid, as a player, as a coach, as a captain.”
Though with Holland Patent’s struggles in sectional playoffs throughout her 10-year coaching career, Aiello realized that technical skill alone wouldn’t lead to success. She said mental toughness is one of the most important traits players need, especially after losing to Canastota every year.
Lisa Aiello led Holland Patent to capture the Section III Class B 2024-25 title. Courtesy of Mark DiOrio | syracuse.com
Thus, instilling a competitive mindset that turned players into “athletes” became Aiello’s first task before entering the 2024-25 season. Over her decade-long tenure, she noticed a shift in the type of players joining the team. While Aiello had always coached girls with a passion for the sport, it didn’t always translate into athletic ability. This year, however, she felt she had more quality athletes.
Aiello launched training camps last summer to spearhead development. She also had them compete in a tournament-style program at Utica College. This allowed the players to boost their confidence and learn how to play under pressure, Aiello said.
To start the 2024-25 season, the Golden Knights started on an eight-game winning streak, remaining unbeaten through December.
Historically, the Golden Knights’ varsity team relied heavily on their juniors and seniors during the season. However, Aiello promoted players from the junior varsity team who showcased maturity and instincts.
“I really believe (in) taking the talent that Holland Patent has to offer and utilizing it in the correct locations,” assistant coach Kathleen Green said. “If we’ve got motivated and skilled athletes at the younger levels, absolutely (they can play). I think that’s a very important strategy.”
Among the standout performers, freshman Corrine Foote competed in 65 sets, totaling 336 digs with 14 service aces. Aiello also credited senior attackman Zakiya Ball, who registered 111 kills and 40 aces.
To foster team chemistry, Aiello turned to an unexpected source: a children’s book called Knight Owl. As a pre-K teacher at Holland Patent, she introduced the Knight Owl’s story to her players, which entailed an owl learning to become a knight. Using this tale as a foundation, she led the team in identifying the qualities that define a true knight. To reinforce these values, Aiello and her coaching staff awarded a stuffed owl to the player who best demonstrated them each game.
In January, Holland Patent encountered a more challenging schedule, facing several Class-A schools that it struggled against in previous seasons. Although Holland Patent had a shaky month, losing five games, Sunberg — who coached Beaver River, which defeated Holland Patent 3-1 during its skid — recognized that Aiello had transformed the program.
“I knew that Lisa was capable of winning and doing it,” Sunberg said. “I think the biggest challenge for her this year was to have her kids understand that they were a good team if they just show up and play the game.”
And during Holland Patent’s hot start to the season — where it only dropped three sets — Aiello realized that potential. It had lost to Oneida High School and Central Valley Academy the previous year and saw immediate improvement when it prevailed this past season.
“When we defeated (teams we typically lost to) this year, I kind of realized that we could (go further), and it was just a matter of getting the team to believe that they could take it because we’ve never done it before,” Aiello said.
Despite its late-season slip-up, Holland Patent bounced back in the playoffs. First, the Golden Knights crushed Sherburne-Earlville 3-0 and South Jefferson 3-1 before facing top-seeded Canastota in the final. This time, Aiello and her players defeated the Red Raiders 3-1.
Under Aiello’s guidance, Holland Patent didn’t just win games, it changed the narrative that it couldn’t defeat powerhouse teams. With their first-ever sectional title etched in the program’s history, the Golden Knights believe their achievements are encouraging for the future.
“(People) are going to say, ‘Oh, wow, this is a team that now can really go the distance,’” Green said. “(The title) will hopefully enlighten the students and the community to say that this program is really a successful program.”
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