Blue Devil Girls’ Volleyball Plans Future

Coming off its best season in a long time, the Huntington High School girls’ volleyball program is planning for next year and beyond. The Blue Devils compiled a 12-7 record and reached the Suffolk playoffs and head coach Todd Donaghy wants to keep the good times rolling. It will take work.

The 2023 team was led by Kate Barba, Lauren Donaghy and Neurdia Osias. “For only the second time in 27 years the team qualified for the playoffs,” Coach Donaghy said. “Each of the past two seasons we came within one game of qualifying, but this year, despite losing two starters midway through the season we finished with a league record of 10-6 and earned the seventh seed in the playoffs.”

The team had a swagger in its step and it showed on the court. “Based on where the program has been, what this group has done over the course of the last four years is amazing,” Coach Donaghy said. “Kate Barba has been a part of the process for the last four years. That first year we finished 3-12, but the foundation was set and a new culture was established by the girls who played last year and the year before that helped create this winning culture.”

Barba turned in one of the best seasons ever by a Huntington volleyball player. She set single season marks for kills (368) and service aces (68) and was named to the All-State team.

Barba established a new all-time Blue Devil record of 636 kills. She led Suffolk in kills and was in the top five for digs and service aces.

Lauren Donaghy also turned in a historic season, breaking her own single season record for assists with 522, which was third best in the county. She was spectacular at getting the ball to Barba for the kill.

“When we lost Brianna [Borenstein] to an injury, we needed to find Kate as often as possible to make up for that lost production, but Lauren also had to get Neurdia involved so that we had two options offensively,” Coach Donaghy said. “Both Kate and Neurdia set single season records in large part due to Lauren’s setting this season.” Donaghy garnered All-Classification honors.

Osias recorded 129 kills, which is a single season record in Huntington for a middle hitter. She added 28 service aces and 15 blocks. The teenager was named All-League.

“Neurdia’s play improved tremendously from the end of last season,” Coach Donaghy said. “The improvement was second to none in all of my years of coaching. I never had a player that improved as much as Neurdia did from one year to the next. The work that she put in to become the player she became was incredible. She should be proud of the player she turned into.”

Borenstein and Emily Barba also garnered All-League recognition. Coach Donaghy was named League III Coach of the Year.

“We started the season 7-1 and lost a hard fought match against West Babylon in five games,” Coach Donaghy said. “The next match against Bellport, we lost our second outside hitter, Brianna, who was a huge part of our offense and a bigger part of our serve receive. At that point, the season could have come to an end, but the team fought and worked even harder to make sure that didn’t happen. The team went on to win 12 matches; the most in 27 years. It was a resilient team with character.”

Looking ahead to next fall, Huntington returns Lauren Donaghy (890 career assists in two seasons), Borenstein (starting outside and primary passer with 150 plus kills over the course of two seasons), Emily Barba (starting libero and arguably the team’s best server last fall) along with Bella Morris (.952 serving percentage), Jocelyn Thorbourne (85 digs and 29 service aces), Kymora Dorvilus and Maddy Falk.

“We have some very good JV players who appear ready to take that next step and contribute at the varsity level as well,” Coach Donaghy said. “I think we won't be in a rebuilding mode, but a re-tooling one. I’m hoping that we can make another run at playoffs in the 2024 season.”