Resilience and confidence marks 2026 Island volleyball team
I am really enjoying working with the 2026 Shelter Island volleyball team. Admittedly, that is generally true each year, but this season features a particularly motivated and supportive group. Practices are fun and productive, and we learn something each game.
When the Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms entered the Shelter Island gym on Monday, Sept. 14, no doubt they expected an easy win. They did indeed get the victory, but the Islanders played with so much heart and so much more confidence than their season opener against Ross less than a week earlier, that even the referee commented on it.
The Islanders’ goals for the match were to get more points each set, and to have every team member gain experience against a tough opponent. With scores of 25-11, 25-12 and 25-15 the goals were met. There were some excellent rallies that ended with points for the visiting team, so the games were closer than the scores indicated. Highlights included service aces by Sadie Green-Clark, Juliana Medina, Maeve Springer, Ella Fundora and Regina Kolmogorova-Weisenberg. Lily Potter and Elizabeth Weslek put up nice blocks, and Lexi Bartilucci made some spectacular saves on defense.
This match, every athlete saw playing time. Michelle Martinez and Emily Shepherd made their presence known in the front row. Martinez stepped in to set on a broken play while Shepherd scored a point on a nice pass to the Phantoms deep court. Danielle Rasmussen and Lida Kendall-Posner both served as defensive specialists, toughing out some sizzling Phantom serves and getting some touches on defense.
The rest of the week features two away matches: at Port Jefferson on Sept. 16 and at Mattituck on Sept. 18.
Our first home match of the season was against the Ross School on Wednesday, Sept. 9. We are the only two Class D schools on Long Island, so the Islanders and Ravens are perennial friendly rivals. Ross has been a varsity-only program for several years. This year they have enough players for a JV squad as well, while the Island is the opposite situation.
It was evident at the start that the Islanders had the first home game jitters, getting off to a slow start. The Ravens jumped out to a 10-point lead on the strength of their serving and hitting before an error allowed us to reset. Regina Kolmogorova-Weisenberg is proving to be an up-and-coming blocker, providing our first line of defense at the net. Players like Makayla Cronin and Lily Brigham shine in the back row on defense. All three are playing at varsity for the first time, and their increasing confidence in positioning and staring down hard hits is great to see. Although the Islanders started to get traction late in the set, it was too little too late, and Ross cruised to a 25-6 win.
But this group is resilient. In the huddle at the start of the second set, the team acknowledged that we had work to do, put that first set behind us and got out onto the court with determination.
Sophomores Ella Fundora and Elizabeth Weslek are both excellent servers and already have the confidence to run the court as setters. Lexi Bartilucci, who “had hands” in the first set donned the gray libero jersey. The libero is a specially designated defensive player who can substitute for multiple teammates. Having the flexibility of a seasoned defensive player is great, and helped with our serve receive.
After a much more evenly played start to the set, Senior Sadie Green-Clark served very well, with a 5-point run to put the Islanders up 11-7. Lily Potter, scored with a nice hit and also served well. With the Island up 19-16, Ross called a time out.
Natalie Mamisashvili, along with classmate Maeve Springer, a dual athlete who was at a golf match for the day, has the ability to switch between the middle and left side hitter position. She made her mark in the middle of this set, with both a block and tip for a point and a heads-up push to a deep corner to put us up 21-19.
Unfortunately, a couple of untimely hitting errors and missed serves let Ross back in to the game and they pulled out a 25-22 win in set 2.
In set three, Ross brought back their aggressive serving, and began finding holes in our defense. Sometimes when things start to go wrong, everyone gets tentative. After Ross found a weak spot, they went to it repeatedly and won several points. Juliana Medina served well for the Islanders, and some smart offensive moves showed that the team is learning how to be flexible. Unfortunately, the Ravens took the final set and match, 25-11.
While disappointed with the outcome, the team was generous with compliments toward one another’s efforts and forgiving of their own shortcomings. With only two seniors, we are a relatively young team. Varsity-level sports take time to adjust to, with inconsistency showing up as the primary symptom.
The practice after a match is usually a lower energy affair, but the team showed up Thursday with positive attitudes and asking for “one more!” The less experienced players are working hard in practice, and will soon earn their way onto the court in games. Lida Kendall-Posner, Michelle Martinez, Danielle Rasmussen and Emily Shepherd are gaining skill and knowledge while challenging their teammates in drills.
We are quickly moving into a couple of busy weeks, and I am happy that we have depth and plenty of potential this season. The week to come features two home games against League VIII rivals: Pierson on Sept. 23 and Greenport/Southold on the 25th. Both matches start at 4:30. Hope to see you in the gym!
