Middle School Shelter Island volleyball team playing with confidence: Drop a close one to Mattituck

Shelter Island’s middle school volleyball team has started their season with a bang with a record of 2-1.

Winning is not a focus of middle school sports. It is a time for young athletes to acquire skills, learn the game and discover the joy of competing on a team. That being said, it is fun to win.

In their home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 20, Shelter Island faced the Mattituck Blue team. The Islanders had seven athletes suited up to Mattituck’s 12. During warm ups it was easy to see that the Tuckers had good skills and were focusing on playing real volleyball, passing with the intent to set up a hitter.

They had nice ball control and they moved well on the court. Communication was good and their confidence level was high.

As the whistle blew to start the game, players came to the net to slap hands in the customary pre-competition “Good luck” exchange. There were several junior varsity players in attendance, either helping at the score table or cheering the younger athletes from the stands.

The start of the match was a bit slow for the Islanders. However, they were doing things the right way. Ella Fundora used an overhead pass to receive a serve, showcasing her strong hands. On a misdirected serve receive, Alice Potter sprinted after the ball to get a nice touch.

Eliza McCarthy moves well to the ball, anticipating where it will come over. She also has made some great saves, being willing to go to the floor to save the ball and relying on her teammates to finish the point. Elizabeth Weslek stretched to get a last-ditch touch and the ball dribbled over the net, surprising the Tuckers and getting a point for the Islanders.

However, a missed serve here, and some miscommunication there, meant that the well-coordinated Mattituck squad jumped out to a 25-13 win in the first set.

But this plucky Shelter Island group was not discouraged. They knew that when they play the way they can, they are hard to beat.

Jayla Jones started off the second set with strong serving. The teams played fairly evenly up to a tie score at 9-9. A string of 5 points by a strong Mattituck server rattled the team, but a quick timeout from Coach Kristin Sweeney reminded the players to settle a bit and return to basics.

They regrouped and with aces by Regina Kolmogrova-Weisenberg and Fundora supported with nice teamwork as the Islanders pulled even at 16-16.

The set continued to be close as both teams worked hard to use three hits, resulting in some very nice rallies. Finally, the Islanders’ focus and determination took the set 25-22.

The tie-breaking third set was another closely played game. Both teams were serving well and using three hits. Parents often just want the ball to go over, but the players are training to play the right way, and I am proud of their ability to pass the ball up and trust that their teammates will do the right thing.

The team was communicating well and designated setters Weslek and Fundora moved well to the ball, calling for help as needed. The score was tight throughout, with coaches strategically using timeouts to give their teams some wisdom.

It became apparent that the Mattituck coach was not used to his team being challenged this closely, with his timeouts and lengthy substitutions used to try and rattle the Islanders. Weslek was at the service line during one “ice the server” attempt, but she calmly delivered one strong serve after another, ending the day with 13 aces.

I was very impressed with the team’s volleyball IQ. Michelle Martinez anticipates plays well, and her ball control is critical for allowing our setters to run an offense. Kolmogrova-Weisenberg is developing both a nice aggressive down ball hit and a jumping attack. Everyone is moving and learning quickly.

In the end, Mattituck squeaked out a 25-23 win, taking the match.

Coach Sweeney was highly complimentary to the team in the post-game huddle. “That was outstanding,” she said. “You had so many excellent plays. You played an excellent team, and were beaten by only 2 points. The next time they see us they will be scared — they don’t know how scared they should be.”

I agree. This team is clicking. Their serves, communication and movement is the best we have seen on a middle school team in a long time. They work hard and love to be challenged.

Emily Shepherd has joined practices, and will soon be qualified to play in games. We look forward to her bringing greater depth to the team.

The team’s next game is on Dec. 6 at Southold, while the next home match will be against Mattituck Gold on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. Come support our Islanders!