H-ton JV Volleyball Gains Valuable Experience

The Huntington junior varsity girls’ volleyball team took it slow this fall. It was a first time experience in the sport for many of the players so time was devoted to building a good foundation of the skills involved in it.

The 13 player squad was captained by Zaida Correal and Anny Carillo and coached by high school physical education teacher Lauren Blackburn.

“Although many girls on the team were new to volleyball, everyone always brought good energy and positivity to practice,” Blackburn said. “Winning on our home court against North Babylon in our last match of the season was a great feeling The girls were down, 0-1 and came back to win it 2-1 with some great game play.”

The top players included freshman Kymora Dorvilus and Anny Carillo, sophomore Isabella Morris and junior Zaida Correal.

“Kymora is an amazing all-around volleyball player,” Blackburn said. “She has a great serve, can pass and can hit from the front row. She is aggressive for the ball on every play and is always looking to turn an offense.”

Correal was also praised. “Zaida is a calm and cool player who lets her game speak for itself,” Blackburn said. “In our North Babylon game, she served 13 points in a row to get us out of trouble. She is an outstanding passer and a very coachable athlete.”

Carillo proved her worth time after time. “Anny stepped in to play a position she has never done before this season and did a great job.”

Morris shined, too. “Bella had some key blocks in games and some awesome kills in the middle,” Blackburn said. “She also served game point in several crucial games.”

This marked Blackburn’s first season with the team after serving as Cold Spring Harbor’s varsity head coach for many years.

“I am glad we are going to have two middle school teams so that more girls will get a chance to learn the skills at a younger age,” Blackburn said.

The Huntington JV, like the varsity team, practiced and played most of the season at J. Taylor Finley Middle School while the high school gym was replaced. The Blue Devils were happy to return home before the season ended.

“Our goal for next year is to get more girls committed to volleyball at a younger age so they are more serious about it when they get to high school,” Blackburn said.