Westhampton Beach Boys Volleyball Hosts Its First Tournament

Feeling a need for a tournament for the smaller Division II programs like her own, Westhampton Beach boys volleyball head coach Jackie Reed created the Westhampton Beach Boys Volleyball Invitational, which held its inaugural event on Saturday. For all parties involved, it was a big success.

“We started the tournament because some schools that have just started programs back up have been unsuccessful getting into the tournaments that are already established. We wanted to create a tournament for those teams, which happen to be most of the DII schools, to get court experience, get tournament experience and to keep playing,” Reed explained.

“The comments I heard from the parents, players, coaches, and officials were all positive,” she said. “We are very excited to be able to provide this opportunity and are looking forward to adding a JV portion of the tournament next year.”

Center Moriches, Comsewogue, East Hampton, East Islip, West Islip, Half Hollow Hills, Shoreham/Wading River and of course host Westhampton Beach all competed in the tournament. Hills and Center Moriches faced each other in the finals with Hills taking the first two games of the best-of-three series to win the tournament.

Thanks to its latest 3-0 home victories over Comsewogue and West Islip on October 2 and 4, Westhampton Beach (3-5, 89 power points) is back in the playoff hunt. With four teams qualifying in Division II, the Canes sit in that final fourth spot, as of Tuesday. Against Comsewogue, Micah Terry and Daniel Haber led the offense with five kills each while libero Matt Lambert had seven digs. Setter Ryan Haber had 11 assists. Ryan Barnett had a big game against West Islip, finishing with 12 kills and 10 digs. Terry finished with eight kills, Ryan Haber had five kills, 24 assists and seven digs, and Matt Lambert finished with 13 digs and six assists.

The Canes played at Smithtown West on Tuesday and will play at East Hampton on Thursday, October 11, at 5 p.m. before hosting Shoreham/Wading River on Tuesday, October 16, at 4:30 p.m. Reed said it’s a big week for her team, especially if it wants to make the postseason.

“The playoffs are not a hope this year but an expectation,” she said. “They have what it takes as a team to make it to the playoffs. Whether they take this opportunity this year to do it or they do it next year, it is in sight.

“We have a really young team this year, but they are very good individual players that are learning how to play with each other,” Reed added. “There are times that we show our lack of court experience and there are times like versus West Islip that communication and hard work click and the team shows their bond.”

Things could be shaping up for the Westhampton Beach and East Hampton girls volleyball teams to battle it out for the League VI title on Thursday, October 25, in East Hampton, if both teams continue to play the way they have this season. The Lady Hurricanes (5-1 League VI, 7-2 overall) sit just behind undefeated East Hampton (8-0 League VI, 9-0 overall) in the standings, as of Tuesday morning. They had a big match against Islip on Tuesday and will host Hauppauge in a non-league match on Friday at 4 p.m. and will play at Amityville the very next morning at 8 a.m.