Volleyball: Volleyball players lauded for stellar season

The ballroom at Villa Lombardi’s was full of volleyball players, coaches and proud parents on December 6. The annual Suffolk County Volleyball Coaches Association’s awards dinner is always a festive night, and Shelter Island was happy to be there to publicly celebrate their very successful 2010 campaign.

Six players from the Shelter Island squad were present and some made multiple trips up to the stage. First were the All-League awards, honoring those athletes who stood out among their peers from the eight teams in League 8. As the league representative, I was happy to be called to the dais and introduce the honorees, including three of my own players. Sophomore Katy Binder and senior Dana Ramos each collected their first awards, while senior Mackenzie Needham was honored for her second year.

All-Conference awards are the next step up and a difficult honor to achieve. Both Leagues 7 and 8 put up their top players, and the other coaches must agree that the chosen athletes are worthy of the recognition. With the larger B and C schools in League 7, many of which having historically very strong programs, it is an uphill battle to get them to realize that even in a school that has a no-cuts athletic program there are very good, very dedicated athletes. Captains Haley Willumsen and Stephanie Vecchio, both year-round volleyball players, were each selected for the honor due to their outstanding, all-round play.

All-County awards are the most demanding to achieve. Because this year’s squad participated in two competitive tournaments, other coaches were able to observe our players in action. Kelsey McGayhey’s hitting and blocking talents caught the eye of opposing coaches, and she gained this coveted award, the first Shelter Island player in several years to do so. McGayhey also won the League 8 Most Valuable Player award.

The team itself was honored as the undefeated League 8 champion, the Section XI Suffolk County Class D champs and for their appearance in the New York State final four. Willumsen and Vecchio each received awards as County All-Tournament players, with Vecchio elected MVP for the county playoffs. The team was also awarded the Class D sportsmanship award for the state tournament, with Vecchio honored as a member of the Class D All-State-Tournament team.

With the table piled with plaques, you would think that would be enough, but the final awards were still to come. Since the blue and grey were undefeated league champs, I was very happy but not entirely surprised to be awarded the League 8 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

Then Suffolk County Volleyball Coaches Association Vice President Kathy McGeehan approached the podium and began to speak about the Teri Tiso Excellence in Coaching award. Teri Tiso was the head volleyball coach at SUNY Stony Brook from 1981 to 2000. She pushed hard to improve the visibility of women’s athletics while amassing the most wins (677) and the highest percentage of wins (71 percent) in the university’s history.

I listened with interest as Kathy ticked off the recipient’s statistics, matching the achievements with several potential winners. When she mentioned appearances at the Class D state tournament, I suddenly realized she was talking about me. Shocked and rather red-faced, I made my way to the stage to receive my plaque.

I will have the honor of holding the Teri Tiso trophy for the year. The large, admittedly ugly trophy, complete with a golden volleyball, has the winner’s name engraved on it, and is passed from winner to winner each year Stanley Cup-style. It will certainly serve as a very tangible reminder of the outstanding achievements of this dedicated group of athletes during this very special 2010 season.