East Meadow girls volleyball has spent the last month on peaks and valleys, winning its first three matches before dropping four straight against strong competition. The key all along has been gaining experience and growing sharper in Nassau Class AAA, focuses coach Devon Hagerstrom has maintained through the good and bad.
“I hope we can see a little bit better when we play them again, the second round through,” Hagerstrom said. “I hope to see us maybe take a set or a game from one of these higher-level teams.”
As easily as East Meadow’s first three victories came against Port Washington, Farmingdale, and Uniondale, matches with Massapequa, Freeport, Plainedge, and Oceanside all proved more difficult. The Jets are were 3-4 through seven matches.
East Meadow is mostly comprised of juniors, leaving senior middle hitter Maya Cieloszczyk in an all-important position. Not only does she provide a massive presence at the net for the Jets, racking up blocks and kills, but she also leads her younger teammates by example.
“She's been super strong for us in the middle and has gotten seven kills every game so far,” Hagerstrom said. “She's been really wonderful for us. She's been running a really fast offense with our setters, and she's come out this year a lot stronger than last year.”
Cieloszczyk is joined by the likes of seniors Emily Cabrejo, Tiffany Acosta and Adrianna Martone, all of whom have stepped into leadership roles for their younger teammates.
Hagerstrom said sophomore libero/defensive specialist Cassie Snow has quickly become a focal point in her defensive-minded program, distributing well and often leading East Meadow in digs.
“Cassie and Maya have been outstanding for us and they’re really the core of our team, just with their leadership qualities and their attitude,” Hagerstrom said. “They go into every single game giving 100 percent. You can really feel the heart and the want from them. It's hard at this age.”
Snow’s defense often kickstarts scoring opportunities for the likes of junior middle hitter Skye Wallace and sophomore outside hitter Courtney Holinski.
In a 3-0 victory over Uniondale on Sept. 15, Holinski led East Meadow with seven kills and 17 aces in a commanding individual effort.
Hagerstrom praised the Jets’ only setters, juniors Annika York and Ava Chavez, for holding their own with high assist totals. In their 3-1 defeat against Freeport on Sept. 18, York had 20 assists, contributing directly to Cieloszczyk’s 13-kill performance.
Maria Campagnuolo and Isabella Garone, listed as hitters, have instead slotted in at multiple positions as needed, earning key experience as East Meadow’s lone freshman.
“They’re getting thrown in whenever we need them, and we've had them on right side, the outside, back row,” Hagerstrom said. “They’ve shown up and they've given 100 percent.”
East Meadow is still cutting its teeth in a highly competitive conference, and while some of its opponents might have loftier goals, stealing the occasional set off league-leading rivals would mean a great deal to the Jets. Hagerstrom aims to create a program in which talent is always being nurtured by those who came before, and her current roster has the enthusiasm and momentum to continue moving forward.
