Volleyball's now a sport for one season

No more trying to remember who plays in what month. Nassau boys volleyball has joined the rest of Long Island as a fall sport.

This paves the way for a small-school and large-school Long Island championship, which will give the winners the opportunity to play in the state championships, something many coaches and fans have wanted for years.

No more wondering whether Massapequa would beat Half Hollow Hills in a title game. Or how Port Washington would fare against Ward Melville if both reached the championship.

"It's the best thing to hit volleyball on Long Island," Half Hollow Hills boys coach Craig Berini said. "And in the long haul, it will put Long Island volleyball on the map."

Now, all volleyball on Long Island, save for the CHSAA boys, will be played in the fall.

But there is discord among coaches regarding the decision made by Nassau's Section VIII athletic directors in July.

"I am not in favor of us moving to fall," Port Washington boys coach Maria Giamanco said. "I'd rather Suffolk move to the spring. There are tremendous problems because there will not be enough officials, referees and coaches."

Problems aside, the switch sparked passionate reactions from the Island's volleyball coaches, all of whom are weighing the benefits of an expanded postseason against inevitable logistical issues.

Smaller schools that have boys and girls varsity and JV teams will contend with a lack of gym space. That will force some teams to practice later in the afternoon. Todd Heimer, executive director of Section VIII athletics, said some matches might be postponed or altered from its scheduled date to accommodate the dearth of gym space and officials.

Heimer acknowledges that is one of the many obstacles facing Nassau volleyball.

"We will have to go through the trials and tribulations of this brand new thing we are facing," Heimer said.

The greatest obstacle, according to most coaches, will be lack of officials. Not all officials are licensed to referee both girls and boys, and with a more cluttered match schedule, finding suitable referees for each match might be challenging.

"Gym space will be a big problem," said Plainview JFK boys coach Russi Villalt, who said he also is concerned about the availability of qualified officials.

Regan Koch, chairperson of the Nassau Boys' Volleyball Officials, said this year's training class increased to 16, up from 14 the previous two years. Certain officials will have to "double up'' on JV and varsity matches the same evening, but he believes in the collective competency of his officials.

"Some of these people we added will be blue-chip officials," Koch said. "We have had some coaches who have changed professions come over to officiate."

Villalta also expressed concern over what she believes will be a dwindling talent pool in Nassau. She said two of her student-athletes are playing soccer in the fall. Hicksville boys coach Rory Lawlor said she lost two of her returning starters to soccer.

Lawlor said she felt the effect of the switch on a personal level. After 15 years coaching both the boys and girls, she had to choose between the two. She went with the boys, leaving Danielle Sekasan in charge of the girls. Despite having to give up one of her coaching jobs, she approves of the switch.

The question remains: Will this experiment go awry? Did Section VIII, in the name of a Long Island and state title, bite off more than it could chew?

Said Massapequa boys coach Steve Mariano: "Long term, it will be better. In the short term, it will be crazy and chaotic."