Varsity volleyball team wins season opener over Greenport-Southold

September means a new school year and a brand new sports season. Shelter Island volleyball players have been in the gym since August 22, learning and improving skills and forging a team from individuals.

We have a lot of new players in the gym. Six varsity players graduated with the class of 2016, and unfortunately two seniors have been unable to return due to injury. Isabella Sherman made the switch to cross country, trading with Olivia Yeaman who came to the volleyball team.

With all the changes, we have just one returning varsity player, and of the 17 players currently in the gym, 10 have never played high school volleyball. We’re quite young, but the athletes are steadily making progress. The girls are very supportive of each other and tackle new ideas with enthusiasm.

Friday, September 16 was the first league game for the varsity and JV squads against the visiting Clippers of Greenport and Southold. Excitement and tension ran high, especially for the JV team, who attracted a vocal fan base.

Junior varsity Coach Jim Theinert is creative, and after closely examining his athletes’ strengths, made the bold decision to change the offense the day before the first match. Instead of the two-setter system they’d been using, Coach Theinert moved Lyng Coyne to the libero position, where her speed and ball-handling will help the squad improve their serve-receive. Maria Carbajal’s quick feet and calm demeanor are an asset as she becomes the primary setter, the same system the varsity uses. As the JV team gets used to the new rotation, their passing will improve and allow the hitters better offensive opportunities.

Other JV players include Jane Richards, an 8th grader, who put her first serve over the net to the delight of her team. Isabelle Topliff has quick reactions and moves well to the ball, while Audrey’ Woods height at the net makes her valuable as a blocker.

The “two Amelias,” Reiter and Clark, are also tall and love to attack at the net. Jennifer Lupo rounds out the squad, and like the Amelias, is passionate about spiking the ball.

Despite the 25-16, 25-12, 25-14 loss, Coach Theinert was pleased with the adjustments the team was able to make as the match went on. The team is poised to improve rapidly and we look forward to seeing all the pieces fit into place.

Following the JV match, the varsity began their warm-up. Mike Gunther, the Greenport coach, confided that his squad was very young, but he is a veteran coach who always undersells his teams. I didn’t tell him that the Island varsity has two seniors who have never played high school volleyball before, so while we have six seniors on the squad, we are also young.

Senior Olivia Yeaman is steadily improving all parts of her game. Her serve is still developing, but she stunned both the Clippers and herself by serving three consecutive aces to ice the first set 25-16. Classmate Julia Labrozzi is a leader on the court, calmly directing teammates to the proper position, and leading by example. An all-out defensive dive to save a tip-off of middle hitter

Nicolette Frasco’s block caused a roar from the crowd and bench. Domily Gil is playing volleyball for the first time, but you wouldn’t know that by her presence at the net. She loves to block, challenging opposing hitters and putting in a few spikes of her own.

We’re happy to welcome Genesis Urbaez back after an injury and work conflicts kept her off the court last year. Melissa Frasco is the sole returning varsity player. Prowling the back line in a different color jersey as the libero, Melissa is a take-charge player.

Even as she recovers from a twisted ankle, she’s the player most likely to chase down balls.

Juniors Sarah Lewis and Phoebe Starzee both feature blazing serves and the ability to run the offense as setters. Sarah is our primary setter, quietly directing traffic and assisting the hitters, while Phoebe’s excellent defensive skills and ability to recognize weaknesses on the opponent’s court have blossomed.

Sophomore Nichole Hand has made great strides. She’s one of the hardest hitters on the team, making the switch from middle to outside hitter this year, picking up crisp transition patterns and hustling on the court.

The Greenport match was a chance to see how we gelled as a team. Communication was good, and players supported one another well. Serves were notable for two reasons: When they went in they were very tough and we scored many aces.

Unfortunately, we also missed eight serves in the second set and six in the third. Giving away that many points on errors is difficult, and during the second set Greenport was able to creep back into the game after we had been ahead 21-12. We were able to win that set, 25-22, but the lack of focus continued into the third stanza.

Greenport matched us point for point, until they crept out to a 16-13 lead, primarily on our errors. Following a timeout to refocus, Hand got us back on track with a monster ace,changing the momentum, and after a 5-1 surge by the Island girls, Greenport had to call a timeout. With our first league victory of the year in sight, Lewis aced two of her three last serves to close out the match in straight sets, 25-20.

Both the varsity and JV want to hit the ground running as we face our League VIII opponents. This coming week features two away games: We’ll be visiting Stony Brook on September 20 and Port Jefferson on the 22nd. Two long bus rides in one week will be a test, but the 2016 Shelter Island volleyball teams are ready.