Long Beach off to 5-1 start

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Last year was special for Long Beach’s girls’ volleyball program, which captured its first-ever Nassau County title by defeating then-defending Class A champion South Side in a thrilling five-set marathon.

The Lady Marines, who finished 17-2 overall in 2013, were faced with the task of replacing six major contributors entering the season and a seventh after one match when senior libero Allison Amen suffered a torn Achilles in a five-set victory over Bellmore-JFK on Sept. 4.

“It was a difficult thing to deal with right off the bat,” coach Kerri Rehnback said after Long Beach improved to 5-1 by beating Calhoun on Sept. 22. “Allison’s our best defender and a captain. She still comes to every match and provides an emotional support for the rest of the kids, but it’s tough having her on the bench instead of the court.”

Amen’s injury, which required surgery two weeks later, came in the middle of the third set. Sophomore Ruany Soca has filled the role of libero and had 15 digs in Long Beach’s five-set win over Manhasset on Sept. 26. “Ruany is very skilled,” Rehnback said.

While the defense has been altered, the offense is operating at full speed with senior captain Alex Price and sophomore Gabby Ayzenberg leading the way in the hitting department. Senior Rebecca Idson, a solid defender and one of the team’s leading servers, is another weapon at outside hitter.

Price, an All-County selection a year ago, has played everywhere in the front row. She totaled 16 kills in a four-set win over MacArthur on Sept. 8. “Alex is 5-11 and jumps well,” Rehnback said. “She creates matchup problems for teams because she can hit right over blocks.”

Ayzenberg, who does her damage from the outside, isn’t the tallest player up front but often finds a way to come up big, Rehnback said. “Gabby has all the tools,” the coach noted. “She’s around the sport all the time and is a superior player. She anticipates well, has perfectly timed jumps, and covers a lot of court.” Ayzenberg had 14 kills and eight service aces in the opener.

The offense runs through sophomore setter Natalie Swegler, who Rehnback said had an outstanding JV campaign last fall. Swegler is averaging more than 20 assists over the first six matches and dished out 35 in the opener. “Natalie’s got a great set of hands and works hard on her craft,” Rehnback said. “She’s adjusted well to the speed of varsity and is tracking down everything. She’s been very consistent.”

Swegler and sophomore Tara Steiner (10 kills against Calhoun) play on the same outside club and have a strong chemistry, Rehnback said. Steiner, junior Shayla Nieves and senior Lindsay Rosenberg are filling in nicely as first-year starters in the middle, the coach said.

“I’m very happy with how we’re playing,” Rehnback said. “Our best-played match, believe it or not, came in our loss to South Side. The girls kept their poise.”

South Side visits Long Beach on Oct. 17. The next day, the Lady Marines host seven teams in their annual tournament beginning at 9 a.m.