Southampton Girls Volleyball Team Secures Sixth Straight Win

Southampton girls volleyball team members can thank their junior varsity counterparts for keeping their current win streak alive. That’s because with some girls out sick and away on vacation, players who were called up helped the Mariners to a 3-1 win over Ross — 25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 26-24 — for Southampton’s sixth consecutive victory this season.

“I think we started strong, and it was a good experience for them,” head coach Jorgine Buccio said. “We hung in there the best we could given the situation, and I’m happy with that 26-24 win. I’m very happy about that.”

Southampton (6-3 in League VII) bounced out to a 16-8 lead early thanks to several unforced Ross errors, three aces by sophomore defensive specialist Piper Shearer and two kills by junior middle hitter Bea Pariz.

“From the beginning, we’ve shown so much improvement as a team — everyone’s grown closer and it really shows,” Pariz said. “I think the junior varsity girls were a little intimidated, but we grew more comfortable as the game went on.”

By the end of the second set, Pariz (12 kills, three blocks) amassed six kills and junior setter Haven Daley picked up points on a skip and an ace for a 23-17 Southampton advantage, but several errors and a Ross (1-9) ace made the second set closer before a spike out of bounds sealed it.

Then, the Mariners started to let the bad passes and serves get in their heads, as they went down, 13-8. It was a game of runs, though, in the third and fourth sets as Southampton made it 13-11 on a Schearer kill before Ross tallied another four points to Southampton’s one. Pariz recorded her ninth kill and first of three blocks to bring the third set to 23-18, but Ross found a hole in the middle of the court three straight times, and a short serve gave the set its final score.

“In the beginning, we were talking a lot more and the girls were pumped up, but as the other team warmed up we lost momentum,” Daley said. “I know the JV girls were really excited and wanted to win, and we realized we needed to get it together to do so, so I’m proud of the girls for stepping up and not being afraid. It was hard, but we got it together in the end.”

Sophomore setter Lucia Obregon Portillo said the communication and energy started to wane as the mistakes mounted.

“It’s hard sometimes, because you can get so focused on yourself and your mistakes, but we knew we had to get the JV girls out of their heads,” she said. “They don’t have as much playing experience, so this was a huge step for them, and it was a struggle for us to also take on that leadership role. It was hard work for all of us.”

But wanting to come through and keep the win streak alive also motivated the Mariners to pull through.

“The varsity players realized we needed to step up and take the reins or we were going to lose,” Obregon Portillo said. “I was shaking the whole entire game, but taking more of a leadership approach really helped us in that last set.”

Ross went up, 9-4, before Southampton went on a 9-4 run to tie the set on an Obregon Portillo point. A Pariz kill and Obregon Portillo skip both gave the Mariners a one-point advantage, but errors on both sides continued to knot the score until it was 18-18.

“They stayed on their feet. They were scrappy,” Buccio said. “We had some strong serves in the beginning, but I think playing with girls they’re not used to was an adjustment. Still, they all worked very well together, and I’m happy with their progress. I know they are, too.”

Pariz’s final kill knotted the set at 24-24 before a Ross spike out of bounds in the back of the court and a serve return that hit the ceiling gave Southampton the match.

“I’m proud of us for staying in it and not losing it when the score was down,” Pariz said. “Coming back from that was awesome, and I’m proud of us for that.”

The Mariners seem well on their way to their first postseason berth in the program’s over 25-year history.

“They have a strong connection on the court, know each other’s strengths and we’re all pumped for the rest of the season,” Buccio said. “We’re excited for what’s to come.”

Daley said while the team struggled to start — going up against strong opponents to open the season with three straight losses — she believes the Mariners are going to close it out strong. The Mariners rematched with Port Jefferson (9-0) on Wednesday, after being swept by the Royals in the first match of the year, but results were not available by press time. Southampton hosts Greenport/Southold (5-5), which the Mariners fell to 3-2 in the third game of the year, on Thursday, October 10, at 4 p.m. Southampton then travels for a rematch with Center Moriches (9-1), their second loss and second straight sweep to start the season, on Tuesday, October 15, at 6:15 p.m.

“There’s great things in our future,” Obregon Portillo said. “We’re strong. We know each other. We’re comfortable around each other. We communicate. There’s a strong team bond and we have big things planned.”