Long Beach volleyball players debate control of league play

When Long Beach resident Amy Morganstern moved to the city from Plainview 13 years ago, she wanted not only to live in a thriving beach town, but also to play her favorite sport, volleyball.

Each season, Morganstern plays in games run by two private leagues that have operated in the city for decades — Evolutions and East End Volleyball — and attract around 3,500 players. “I love living down here — I love the game, and I don’t have to worry about commuting to come play anymore,” she said, adding that discussions about teams begin as early as February.

Morganstern is among the many players who are concerned about a recent proposal for the city to operate its own league through the Recreation Department, essentially putting an end to the private leagues. She was among 100 or so who turned out for a public meeting at the Rec Center on Tuesday, where they were informed about a proposal floated by two local lifeguards and players, Vincent Leis and Chris Sullivan, who maintain that their plan will generate revenue for the city while improving game play, efficiency and safety.

“We wanted a better volleyball product while working with the municipalities for the people of Long Beach,” said Leis, 34.

He and Sullivan said they have been developing an alternative league for a few years, and brought their proposal to Bobby Piazza, the city’s new parks commissioner, last month. The games — everything from registration to setting up the nets — would be administered through the Rec. The plan would reduce the number of nets stretching from Long Beach Boulevard to Edwards Boulevard from 60 to 40.

“We’ve decided to reduce it to a 40-net system to please the people that live between Long Beach and Monroe boulevards, where there were a lot of public complaints … coming in to the Police Department, the Rec Department and the lifeguards …,” said Leis. “We can run this league with a 40 net system very successfully.”

Both men mentioned some of the objects of complaint: foul language, drinking, littering and other disruptions. Some city officials have also said that court boundary lines often get caught in rakes and emergency vehicles, while nets often block emergency exits from the beach.