Westhampton Beach Volleyball Team Drops Second Straight Suffolk County Final Match To ESM

Dan Haber wasn’t ready to walk off a high school volleyball court for the last time just yet.

So, the Westhampton Beach senior outside hitter found ways to keep his team in the Suffolk County Division II championship Tuesday. His kill late — one of six in the set — brought the Hurricanes within six, 22-16, a block made it 24-18, another, 24-22, and his final kill closed Westhampton within 1, 24-23.

“I didn’t want to step off the court. I did not want my Westhampton days to be over,” Haber said. “I guess that lit a fire under my ass.”

Unfortunately, he and his team’s efforts were not enough as the Hurricanes (9-7) fell to undefeated crosstown rival Eastport-South Manor in straight sets, 25-19, 27-25, 25-23. Westhampton was also knocked out by the Sharks (16-0) last season. Though the Hurricanes managed to win a set last time around, Westhampton’s upperclassmen think they raised the bar this time around — especially considering the fact that the Sharks have been winners of their last 46 sets, dropping only one after facing Westhampton, during the opening match of the season against Sachem North on September 2, and the Hurricanes almost took one from them.

“I think we performed a lot better than we did last year, and the energy of having a crowd is actually really nice,” said Haber (12 kills, seven digs), pointing to the fact that spectators were limited during an altered COVID-19 season. “We weren’t letting them just ram balls down our throats like we were last time. We had a defensive mentality — our blockers were getting up there. We really got touches on all their balls.”

The two teams remained close early in the first set before the Hurricanes went on a 6-1 run, with seniors Conor Farnan (24 assists, three blocks) and Joe Green (six kills) coming together for two big blocks during that scoring streak. Junior right side Declan Kerns finished with a game-high five blocks.

“We showed a lot of grit,” Farnan said. “To make it all the way and just fall short is heartbreaking, but ESM is a great team. It was fun.”

Unfortunately, errors plagued Westhampton, helping the Sharks to an 8-2 run of their own to close out the set. ESM senior Mark Porcelli finished with 14 kills and eight digs, and classmate Jake DesLauriers added 12 kills and nine digs.

“They played tough,” head coach Josh Tuttle said. “We executed our game plan and made the stops that we wanted to make. We put the pressure on ESM. Today was a battle.”

That was especially true in the second, with the Hurricanes hanging in there and tying the set nine times. Haber earned four of his team-high 12 kills to help Westhampton to two of them. After his fourth kill went over potential blockers to once again pull the team within one, 24-23, his second straight off a tip knotted the set at 24-all. After an ESM spike just in at the sideline, Haber’s sixth of the match tied things at 25 before his opponents found at hole at center court, and a missed recovery after a Farnan block handed the Sharks the set.

“For me and a few of these other kids it’s been a journey. Dan has played with me since our freshman year, and I can’t believe that it’s over,” Haber said. “It’s a little sad, but I think we played well to finish it out.”

Westhampton scored seven straight points in the third — while being one away from a loss — to force ESM to call timeout.

“That’s Westhampton personified,” Tuttle said. “There’s no quit. Even when we’re down, we keep fighting and we keep looking for ways to score points.”

“We felt great. Dan had a few big blocks and Seth Terry (nine digs) just kept serving them in. That’s what we needed, but unfortunately it was too little too late. What are you going to do?” Farnan added. “Down 24-16 that comeback definitely showed a lot of heart.”

Speaking of heart, Tuttle said this senior group of Farnan, Green, Haber, Josh Aponte (1o digs) and Colbie Mason (four kills, two blocks) will have a special place in his. He came through the program with them, working his way from the middle school to being head coach of the junior varsity team and then assistant coach at the varsity level before taking over the helm last season.

“These seniors have a really near and dear place in my heart. I’m going to miss them so much,” he said. “It’s no guarantee to get here, although we were expecting to be here, and they have nothing to regret.”

Some of them can even say they won a Long Island Championship — the first in program history — and placed third in New York State back in 2019.

“Playing with this group of guys … I couldn’t ask for more,” Haber said. “They all put in so much effort, and we’ve all grown tremendously — more than I imagined. It sucks to come up short, but I’m proud of the progress we made. It’s been an amazing ride, and I couldn’t ask for more.”