The Bonac boys volleyball team starts the postseason at 4 p.m.Thursday with its first playoff game at Westhampton Beach. The matchup should have parents and friends of both teams on the edge of their bleacher seats. Their last showdown — at East Hampton High School on Oct. 6 — was a thriller that went five sets.
Today, the Bonackers hope to get their revenge after spending the past week getting back to the basics. Josh Brussell, the head coach, laid out that plan after their final regular-season game.
“We’ve got to start again. We have more time now between our first playoff practice and our first playoff game than we did at the beginning of the season. So we can literally just start new,” he explained. “And that’s what I want to do with them. On day one, I want to come in and work on basics and go back to where we were at the beginning of the season and go back to where we were just rolling.”
Aaron Torres, one of the team’s seven seniors, believes they’re on the brink of a solid playoff run.
“I feel like we do have a shot to go far,” he said. “If we keep our mentality,
our happiness, our positivity, I feel like we can go really far.”
The team celebrated Torres and the rest of its seniors before a dominant straight-set victory over Shoreham-Wading River on Oct. 20. Afterward, the seniors spoke about their unique bond, having played together for so long.
“I’ve grown up with this team,” said Owen Grisch. “I’ve been in the program since middle school, so around six years. It’s all my friends and I truly love what I’ve been able to accomplish on this team.” In his remarks, Brussell praised Grisch’s impact on the program, particularly when he stepped up during the team’s playoff run in his sophomore year.
“I feel like everyone on the team connected together very well and it was very fun to build more connections and just have fun together playing volleyball,” added Marcus Oransky, the team’s setter. Brussell said Oransky “lives and bleeds” for his team.
Coach Brussell called Ephraim Munoz the ultimate yes man, acknowledging that no one on the team says “Yes, Coach!” more than Munoz does.
“Whenever he tells me to do something I just say yes because I know if I argue back then I’ll have to do it anyway,” Munoz said with a laugh. He believes his coaches — Brussell, Andrew Rodriguez, and Tom Schultz — have fostered a strong team connection. “I think they’re very open-minded and open to new things. If we have something to say, they hear us.”
Wyatt Zeledon, a four-year varsity starter, has had a frustrating season battling a knee injury. Brussell called him the “assistant-assistant coach” whose
only desire is to be on the volleyball court.
“I love playing so much. I’m doing my best to keep with it. I’m just trying to get through this season and make the most of it,” Zeledon said, refusing to let his circumstances ruin his senior year. “It’s still awesome. We go to John Papas pretty much every Saturday as a team and I just love doing that, hanging around with these guys. We’ve all been teammates for so long and it’s been a great experience.”
Patrick Conlon, who towers over the competition much like his father — Dave Conlon, the varsity basketball coach — has been on the varsity team for three years. Known for his doughnut consumption, his reach, and his ever-present smile, Conlon called this a special group.
“I’m really close with this team this year and I’ve gotten a lot closer with the coaches. Over all we just had great chemistry this year and I loved it,” he said.
Nate “the Great” Tarbet, is known as the guy who never lets a ball hit the ground. If he keeps that up, the Bonackers just might have a few more playoff games on the horizon.
“It’s been our best year yet,” he said. “It’s been fun competing with all the best teams in the league and I think we have a chance to beat any team.”
“It’s really special that these guys have been doing it and working up to this. Everything’s been so close,” Brussell said of the competitive season they’ve had so far. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from this team — to go through what they’ve gone through and to learn how to push. I think we still have a lot to go.”
