The hottest spot in East Hampton this fall doesn’t have a V.I.P. list or a bouncer at the front door. There are security guards in yellow windbreakers, but they’ll happily welcome you in and even offer you a front-row seat for free.
The high school gym on Long Lane is the place to be when the varsity boys volleyball team is in town.
Last Thursday, the Bonackers improved to 6-0 after a thrilling four-set home win over Smithtown West. Just two days later, they beat Hauppauge on the road in straight sets — 25-18, 25-19, 25-17 — to move to 7-0. They were the first team in the district to clinch a playoff spot, and the atmosphere when they’re killing the ball is simply electric.
“I think it’s a huge accomplishment, regardless of what teams are playing,” Josh Brussell, the head coach, said of making the playoffs so early in the season. “Just to keep that momentum and continue to go is pretty cool. I don’t know if we’ve ever done that. I’ve come in first once, but it wasn’t by going 7-0.”
The boys have been on fire, and when they get going, Brussell says, it’s a hard flame to put out.
“I stress to them a lot about playing together as a team. I think we’re doing that I don’t think that’s something I have to coach them in anymore. Now, I think what’s happening is being 6-0 now 7-0, they want to be a 7-0 team. They want to be an 8-0 team. And I think they’re scared to do it. You’ve got to keep doing the job. You’ve got to control before you can give power.”
The Bonackers didn’t play their best game against Hauppauge. They were expected to beat the Eagles, who were 1-3 going into the match. Coach Brussell thinks his boys were sluggish knowing that and because they didn’t have the support of their seventh man, the home crowd.
“I think that one of the reasons we didn’t play as hard today was because it was a Saturday morning in an opposing gym and they didn’t have that electricity. So I do think our community and what we’re building keeps getting better and better and it has a lot to do with our success,” he said.
The team was also without Wyatt Zeledon, a libero and backup setter, who was out with a knee injury. Nate Tarbet moved over from the back row and didn’t miss a beat.
“Nate stepped in and just did the job and didn’t even think about it. I had him do something different than Wyatt does, then do what Wyatt does, and Nate just stepped in and didn’t even think twice about what he was doing. It was absolutely amazing,” Brussell said.
In the previous match against Smithtown West, East Hampton won 19-25, 25-15, 25-22, and 28-26. It was an absolute nail-biter, and the first real test of the season for the Bonackers. The gym was rocking and the boys never gave up, even though the Bulls got out to a quick lead in the first set, before Bonac rallied to win the next three.
“I told them, ‘Your backs were never against the wall. We were down 14-2. Your backs were never against the wall, you were never playing on your heels. You were never scared. You just kept playing.’ Our game is control and they did that against a pretty good team. Smithtown West is a good team.”
Patrick Conlon, a middle blocker, made a crucial play in the fourth set, to prevent Smithtown from winning the set and forcing a fifth.
“He had the kill when they were up 24-23 or something and could’ve won [the set]. Patrick held us in it,” Brussell said. The kill happened after Brussell pulled Conlon, and reminded him to stop being reactive and start thinking about each play. Conlon went back in and executed.
“His biggest thing is he just freaks and tries to get the ball up and doesn’t think. Dude, when you think, good things happen. When you’re reactive, you’re just getting the ball over. And that’s what he works on and that’s what he’s doing. And I’m so proud of him,” Brussell said.
“There was a lot of pressure in that moment, but I think I had hope in my team in that moment,” Conlon said. “I knew exactly what I had to do. I saw my coaches for a split second and I was like ‘This is going in and we’re going to keep playing this game.’ ”
The Bonackers spend a lot of time focusing on mind-set and togetherness, but they’re also having a hell of a lot of fun.
“I never thought volleyball would be this fun to me in my life,” Conlon said. “I never thought it would be this important. But now, playing with these boys, my friends now, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of.”
Brussell agreed. “This is why I love the sport. You watch any other sport and you’re waiting for something to happen. You watch volleyball and something’s guaranteed to happen almost every play and it’s just so much fun. And when you’re invested in it, it’s your people doing it. And that’s what makes volleyball so incredible because you’re so close to them.”
The Bonackers’ next home match is against Eastport-South Manor on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
