Long Beach aims for consistency

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With four returning starters and some talented juniors new to the rotation, Long Beach is looking to challenge perennial Nassau Class B powerhouse Kennedy as well as a long list of other contenders for the county championship a year after reaching the Class A semifinals.

“We’re working to be more consistent,” Long Beach coach Bill Gibson said. “Our guys will be extremely disappointed if they don’t win it all. Kennedy is still looked at as the team to beat, but we’re right there. It’s as wide open as its been in a long time.”

The Marines, who face a stiff test on Thursday with a trip to three-time defending county champion and defending state champ Kennedy, won their first six matches and impressed Gibson with their performance in last Saturday’s stacked Sachem North Tournament.

“The kids raised their level of play against top competition and played better than we had all year,” said Gibson, who lauded the work of assistant coach Nick Smith, a 2010 Long Beach graduate. “We needed that wakeup call and challenge,” he added.

In addition to the host school, Suffolk champ and state Class A finalist Sachem North, the Marines took on upstate power Shenendehowa, Suffolk Class A runner-up Ward Melville and defending Nassau Class A champion Plainview in pool play. Long Beach won a few games and dropped a couple of marathons to Plainview (23-25 and 24-26) and one to Sachem North (22-25.) “It wasn’t about the results,” Gibson said. “Consistency has been holding us back and we were definitely more consistent at the tournament.”

Two of the Marines’ returning starters earned All-Conference honors last season: setter/outside hitter Dom Cieleski and middle hitter/blocker Evan Michaels. Cieleski is a club player who brings a strong all-around game, excellent court vision and a high volleyball IQ. Michaels, a key member of the basketball team, is an athletic 6-foot-5 force in the front row. “When we’re consistent with our serve-receive, Evan is unstoppable,” Gibson noted.

Senior lefty Brian Corrigan, an opposite hitter, is another returning starter with height (6-4) who made tremendous strides since last season according to Gibson. Corrigan can make things happen at the net and hits well from the back row. “All of our guys have gotten better and Brian’s level of improvement is off the charts,” Gibson said.

The program has a rich history of strong liberos and senior Christian DelPrete has made significant strides as a defender and in serve-receive, Gibson explained. “I always ask a lot of our liberos and he’s become more comfortable with everything,” Gibson said.

DelPrete and junior John Farina also do some setting. Often on the receiving end are junior outside hitters Dylan Goldstein and Hunter Bloomer. Both were on the varsity roster a year ago but saw limited action. Now they’re starting and key contributors. Senior Jesse Thornton and junior Dan Hartman bolster the back and front rows, respectively. If seniors Logan Viscecchia and Cole Goldstein can return from considerable ankle injuries, the Marines will become that much deeper.