Indians undefeated league champs

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
It was an inauspicious start: out of 19 players on the Shelter
Island volleyball teams, four were out sick on October 26. Of the
eight available varsity players, only six were in the gym as
warm-ups began. Pierson, fresh off their sweep of second place
Stony Brook that pulled the Whalers into playoff contention, was
looking energetic and ready to play.
ISLANDERS WIN IN STRAIGHT SETS
As Shelter Island gathered at the start of the match, there was
coughing and sniffling, and the team seemed a bit low on energy.
The players agreed that bumping fists instead of slapping hands was
the way to go for the day, in order to slow the spread of
germs.
True to their pre-game demeanor, the Indians started somewhat
lethargically. It was a point-by-point battle, with the Whalers
pulling slowly ahead on a series of Indian errors, stretching their
lead to 5 points at 6-11. But the blue and grey got warmed up, and
our blocks started frustrating the Pierson hitters, who often hit
out as they tried to avoid getting roofed.
Dana Ramos was a steady presence on defense, and she scrambled to
dig up any Whalers’ hits that made it over the
net. Kelsey McGayhey stepped to the service line at 16-16, the 8th
tie of the game. She served six straight to put the home team ahead
for good. The first set ended 25-20, Shelter Island.
Early on in the second set, long rallies tested the
teams’ determination. A monster kill by
Stephanie Vecchio jump-started the team after being down 0-2, and
other hitters soon followed suit. Mackenzie Needham blasted a hit
from the back row, and Shelby Willumsen cranked a spike down the
line to put the team ahead at 7-6. The home team never trailed
after that, with Vecchio serving 7 straight to end the set at
25-12.
Mariah Jacobs, who saw quite a bit of action in the match, served
an ace in the corner to get the team out to an early lead in the
third set. Haley Willumsen, who had a match-high 17 assists,
frustrated the Pierson defenders as she first spotted Vecchio with
a quick set in the middle, then on the very next point launched a
set out to Claire Read who crushed it for the kill. This ability to
spread the ball around accounts for a lot of our success.
While we have many players who can effectively attack the ball, we
are a well-balanced team and do not rely on any one player to carry
the offense. McGayhey, another top hitter, finished the set at
25-17, with an ace to sweep the match.
With this victory, Shelter Island has clinched as the League 8
champions. Second place Stony Brook School has three losses, while
we are12-0, with two matches to go. Our next goal is to remain
undefeated and win the Class D county championships on November 6,
the first step in the playoffs.
As the season has progressed, people around town flash me a
questioning thumbs up, then respond with a big smile when I give a
returning thumbs up. Our last varsity home game will be here at
home today against Ross. It will also be Senior Send-off, with a
chance to acknowledge our seniors, who have led the team this fall,
as well as the last chance to see these athletes in action on their
home court during this terrific season.
JV TAKES OUT THE BROOM
Seven determined JV players took the court for their last home
match. Like the varsity, they were missing two players from their
roster due to sickness. Coach Karen Gibbs impressed on them the
importance of staying focused and positive —
with six players required on the court, there could be little help
from the bench.
The girls took the challenge to heart. Alexis Gibbs started the
first game with a bang: 15 straight serves, five of them aces, gave
the blue and grey an insurmountable lead. Not willing to rest on
its laurels, the team continued to press on. Morgan McCarthy chased
down one errant pass nearly to the wall, making an incredible,
crowd-pleasing save. The first set ended 25-10.
The second game was more evenly played. Katie Olinkiewicz started
up the Indian offense as she swung for a back line kill. Tara
Sturges earned herself an assist, as she set the ball up for
Melissa Ames who put it down in Whaler territory. Jayme Clark
cranked up her powerful serve, keeping the Whalers on their heels,
then sprang into action with her hit-the-floor style defense.
Olinkiewicz closed the door on the game by serving 6 points,
including two aces. The Indians won the second set 25-18.
With the match victory in reach, the girls enjoyed working toward
their third sweep of the season. Eight of their previous match
victories have come down to a tiebreaker in the last set
— exciting but nerve racking. The team took
advantage of Pierson’s lineup confusion to push
ahead. Ames scored 8 points behind the solid playing of her
teammates. Katy Binder seemed determined to fill out every category
on her stat sheet as she scored an assist on a Gibbs kill, blocked
a ball with Sturges for a point, made a beautiful hit for a kill
and finished the match with an ace. In the end it was 25-10, and
the JV team posted a 3-0 sweep of the Whalers.
The JV’s last match will be at Port Jefferson on
Tuesday, November 3. Their record currently stands at 11-2, an
incredible feat for a team with only one returning player. Once
again, the future of Shelter Island volleyball looks bright.