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Girls Volleyball: Island squad earns win at Greenport

Shelter Island girls volleyball wins in straight sets over the Greenport-Southold squad last week. (Credit: Eleanor Labrozzi)
Shelter Island girls volleyball wins in straight sets over the Greenport-Southold squad last week. (Credit: Eleanor Labrozzi)

It is the start of the second half of league season, and the Shelter Island volleyball team is looking to add some more wins to its record. 

Facing the Greenport/Southold Clippers on the road is always a challenge, but the varsity team played well October 6 and came away with a decisive 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 sweep.

All members of the team contributed to the victory. Sarah Lewis started off the match with a nice setter dump for a kill, then steadily served 5 points to get us out to a 6-0 lead. The rallies were controlled, showing the growth in the confidence in one another. Even when we had a broken play, Olivia Yeaman calmly stepped in to help set and keep the rally going. Olivia also had the most unusual kill of the match, a sharp angle hit that landed only two feet from the center line.

During the second set, our middle hitters came alive. In addition to her blocking, Domily Gil showed her more powerful swing. Nicolette Frasco had 4 kills in error-free hitting, and Nichole Hand also swung from the middle on serve receive. Despite the 25-16 final score, I was a bit disappointed in our serving — 7 of the Clippers points came on our missed serves.

Determined to improve, the team refocused in the third set and I was pleased to see Julia Labrozzi exhibiting great court sense as she kept an eagle eye on Greenport’s setter, jumping to block an attempted dump. Phoebe Starzee’s strong serving got us out to a comfortable eight-point lead in the middle of the set before Greenport started inching their way back. However, Melissa Frasco was a whirling dervish, her blazing topspin serves topped only by her never-say-die defense, including 15 digs. The highlight of her efforts was the final point of the match when a tip from Greenport looked sure to drop for a point until Melissa raced out of the back row and made a jaw-dropping save, which landed on the stunned Clippers side untouched.

After the varsity victory, the JV squad took the floor. The Clipper squad showed tough serving, which put pressure on our passers. Audrey Wood was steady at the net, getting a nice block for a point. Overall the team was quiet, and ended the first set with a 25-11 loss.

The second set was one of the most well played of the whole season. Coach Jim Theinert made a switch in the lineup, and the team responded. Lyng Coyne aced the Clippers at the start, and Amelia Reiter made a nice block to give the blue and grey a 3-0 lead. Amelia Clark, Maria Carbajal and Isabelle Topliff combined for a nice three-hit play. Jane Richards was moving to the ball well, and the passing improved. Jen Lupo aided the coaches and other players sitting out to lead the lively talk and “Serve it up, SI, serve it up!” cheers. Unfortunately, Carbajal fell hard on her elbow, and had to be taken out to ice it. The team continued to hustle until the very last point as Greenport squeaked out the win 25-23.

Despite Carbajal’s return to the court in the third set, and a Topliff/Coyne/Clark combination for a kill, the Clippers went on to take the final set 25-9. Coach Theinert was happy the team met its goal of decreasing service errors and that three-hit rallies are becoming more commonplace as this young team continues to mature.

The teams are looking forward to beginning a three-game homestand this coming week. On Friday, October 14 we are looking to avenge our early season loss against the Stony Brook Bears. On Tuesday, October 18, Port Jefferson will visit for our annual Dig Pink breast cancer fundraiser, and Friday the 21st will be our senior sendoff against McGann-Mercy. JV plays at 4:30 and varsity at 5:45 p.m. Please come cheer us on and contribute to a great cause!