2011 Preview: Sachem East Girls Volleyball

Sachem East girls volleyball had a rough year in 2010. The team graduated nine seniors after the 2009 season in which it went 12-6 and made it to the quarterfinals of the Suffolk County playoffs. Coach Amanda Katz brought in a “whole new team” in 2010 including six tenth graders. She’s hoping 2010 was the transitional year and that the team can get back on the winning track in 2011.

Head coach: Amanda Katz (6th year)

2010 Record: 4-9

Key losses: Alyssa Sobel

Top players: Amanda Hallstein, Sr, setter; Jenna Rosado, Sr, D.

Expectations: “Last year we got knocked out of the playoffs with four games and a tournament left to go, which was tough,” Katz said. “We won the last tournament but still couldn’t make the playoffs. This year, if they continue to play the way they’ve been playing the playoffs are absolutely an option. The best thing about that is I don’t think anybody really expects anything from us because we didn’t really do anything last year.”

Key matches:  vs. Bay Shore, Sept 21, 5:45 p.m.; vs. Lindenhurst, Sept 22, 5:45 p.m.; at Connetquot, Oct. 5, 4 p.m.

Learning to Play Together

Last year was a season of rebuilding for East girls’ volleyball. The team struggled to find an identity with so many new players added to the roster. Katz has seen an enormous difference between the squad last year and where they are now.

“We have such great additions to the team,” she said. “The girls have said it – the overall feeling in the gym this year is different.”

Katz mentioned seniors Hallstein and Rosado as key returners but was hard pressed to really distinguish between any of the girls – something she sees as a positive. “It’s hard for me to pinpoint one or two of the girls because they really are all doing their jobs,” she said.

With last year learning experience behind them, Katz hopes her teams continues to play as it has in the early season – they defeated Connetquot and Whitman in their first two matches – and can make a run to the playoffs. “. This year we only had a few new additions and having such a weak season last year they kind of learned and felt like they didn’t want that to happen again.”

Katz was particularly happy with the effort against Connetquot. “They really proved themselves – they didn’t stop, not once,” she said. “They didn’t let a ball drop, they didn’t let anything get them down, they all just kind of worked together and did their jobs as a whole. That’s really what I find works best for a volleyball team - you can’t just be about one person, you have to be about the whole team.”