BHS’ Ahearne competes on national stage

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Baldwin High School’s varsity volleyball season only began a few weeks ago, but for junior Allie Ahearne, it didn’t take long to shake off the offseason rust. That could be because Ahearne didn’t have much of an offseason.

She competed in tournaments over the winter, spring and summer and traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to compete in the Junior Olympics with her club team where she squared off against teams from all over the country.

Ahearne, who will turn 16 next month, has only been playing competitive volleyball for a few years, but you wouldn’t know it when watching her play. When she was 14, she tried out for a club team at Sportime in Bethpage, after only having played a short while at Baldwin Middle School. About 200 girls tried out for the team and only 12 would get a spot on the roster.

“It was so nerve wracking,” Ahearne said of her first tryout. “So many people on Long Island have so much talent for volleyball and you’re going up against them. It makes you really nervous. But once you find out you made the team it’s like the best feeling in the world.”

Following the three-day tryout and news she had made the team, Ahearne was moved to libero, a unique position on the court that serves as the team’s defensive specialist. Liberos, who mainly play toward the back of the court, must be able to “dig” an opponent’s spike while also set his or her teammates up on offense with an accurate pass. Ahearne was one of two liberos on this year’s team and was a routine starter. She was the only girl from Baldwin on the roster, which includes 15 and 16 year olds from across Long Island.

Ahearne’s Sportime team competes in the Garden Empire Volleyball Association, which includes Long Island, the Greater Metropolitan Area of New York City and New Jersey. After a series of tournaments, the top 12 teams in the GEVA region competed for two bids to the Junior Olympics; Ahearne’s team won the second spot.

She competed against athletes from as far away as Hawaii and said the experience was one she will remember for a long time.

Ahearne also won a spot in a national beach volleyball tournament over the summer. She and her partner, who she once played with at Sportime, came in fifth at nationals in Seaside, New Jersey.

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