9 Photos
ESM captain Matt Barnes with a dig. DREW BUDD
ESM captain Ryan Brisson sets the ball for a teammate. DREW BUDD
Leland Muller digs a ball for East Hampton. DREW BUDD
A.J. Bennett and Evan Larsen go up for a block. DREW BUDD
ESM captain John Bohnenblusch digs a ball. DREW BUDD
East Hampton's Mike Messimer digs a ball. DREW BUDD
Bonacker Ian Philipbar sets the ball. DREW BUDD
East Hampton head coach Dan Weaver talks to his team before facing Eastport South Manor on Saturday. DREW BUDD
The Eastport South Manor boys volleyball team wore shirts remembering 9/11 victims at their first annual ESM Invitational on Saturday. DREW BUDD
The early part of the season is usually reserved for finding out what works and what doesn’t. The East Hampton girls volleyball team learned plenty about itself with a busy weekend, first disposing of League VI foe Amityville before a full day of action at the Smithtown East Invitational in which Bonac reached the semifinals.
On Saturday, the Lady Bonackers placed first in pool play, winning five of six games against Sayville, Longwood and Half Hollow Hills East. They then knocked off Northport in the quarterfinals before losing a best-of-three series to host Smithtown East, the eventual tournament champion.
“The tournament really got us ready,” Bonac head coach Kathy McGeehan said. “We were playing some of the best teams in Suffolk County. It was a good challenge for us.”
East Hampton played without two starters from its opener, senior outside hitter Katla Thorsen and junior middle blocker Maria Montoya. Not only were they allowed to recover, but McGeehan was able to see the rest of Bonac’s roster go up against some of Suffolk County’s most prodigious competition.
Among the standouts was a trio of freshmen—outside hitter Jenna Budd, her twin sister Lydia at setter, and defensive specialist Katie Brierley. In addition, the Lady Bonackers’ new libero, sophomore Maggie Pizzo, was named to the all-tournament team. Pizzo has stepped in for former All-American Kim Valverde
“It’s a hard act to follow, but she’s quite an athlete,” McGeehan said of Pizzo, who led the Bonac girls lacrosse team in scoring during the spring. “She learned from the best last year. When a player like that precedes you, it helps you understand the position.”
Other reserves who complemented East Hampton’s regular starters were Carly Seekamp and Christina Cangialosi, a pair of young middle blockers, and senior Mariah Dempsey at outside hitter.
“We’re still a work in progress,” McGeehan said, “but we’re starting to see all the different talents that they all can bring to us. I’m really excited about the underclassmen, who look like they’ll be able to contribute right off the bat.”
In Friday’s match, setter Raya O’Neill racked up 24 assists en route to a 25-13, 25-9, 25-14 triumph on the road. Like in the invitational, McGeehan was able to empty her bench and give some players their first varsity experience.
“A lot of kids contributed and it was an overall team win,” she said.
The Bonacker boys volleyball team competed in the first-ever invitational held at Eastport South Manor, going 3-5 on the day. The tournament included squads from ESM, Ward Melville, Connetquot, Shoreham/Wading River and junior varsity squads from East Hampton and Connetquot.
Head coach Dan Weaver judiciously used his bench throughout the day and found out he has a wealth of personnel who can contribute.
“It was a good chance to play a lot of lineups and put a lot of guys in different positions,” Weaver said. “I wasn’t really too concerned with what our record was.”
Weaver lauded the play of junior attacker Thomas King, the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2010, but said that East Hampton struggled with serve receives in their first action without Dylan Cucci, its longtime libero.
ON THE SCHEDULE: Girls–Thursday, 9/15, vs. Rocky Point, 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9/17, at Eastport/South Manor Invitational, 9 a.m.; Monday, 9/19, at John Glenn, 4 p.m. Boys–Thursday, 9/15, at Huntington, 5 p.m.; Friday, 9/16, at Sayville, 4:30 p.m.
