Thursday, October 1, 2026
It's been the perfect season for North Shore's girls volleyball team. Coach Danielle Bleiweiss' squad is unbeaten in conference play and upset defending state champion South Side on Wednesday in a five-setter.
With a junior-dominated team, the good volleyball vibes are flowing at the Sea Cliff/Glenn Head school.
"It was really important for many reasons – one of them being it helps our confidence,'' said junior outside-hitter Devyn Mandell. "Our team works so hard and these wins are so much more amazing because it really shows how hard we work – on and off the court. It's uplifting to have wins like this.''
Bleiweiss, a former Vikings standout, is thinking big. She's in her third season as coach with another former North Shore star Isabella Baretta as assistant.
"I think we can absolutely go all the way,'' Bleiweiss said.
North Shore's last Nassau County volleyball title is 2002. The optimism gained from a 4-1 start (3-0 in conference) stems from the brilliance of Mandell, who has 75 kills, 3 blocks, 36 digs, 9 aces.
"The team has a really good connection,'' Mandell said. "Everyone's friends and close. It's not like we have a huge team. We only have 14 girls and the majority of the team are juniors. So we all relate. We are like one big family.''
Against South Side, the 5-9 Mandell recorded 21 kills 7 digs 4 aces as The Maroon pulled out the final set, 15-10.
A 2025 All-County winner, Mandell is a potential Division I player, recently visiting Villanova, where her grandfather attended.
Mandell didn't start playing volleyball until 8th grade when she gave up soccer. "She's really strong,'' Bleiweiss said. "You get a student who buys into what we're doing, that player is going to go far. She didn't stop with, "OK now I'm playing volleyball in high school". She asked me after 8th grade what the best club team in Long Island was.''
Another junior outside hitter, Faith Virgilio, is her perfect complement. "She's also really a hardcore outside (hitter),'' Bleiwess said. "She scores a lot for our team. She puts the ball in really specific places. Her energy is very positive.''
Junior Delaney Strecker is playing in a new formation as lone setter and thriving with 153 assists 26 digs, 9 aces after an All-Conference season.
Junior Lily Bombardiere is libero (8 assists, 85 digs). "She's fast and reads the ball well and has great ball control,'' Bleiweiss said. "She's very quick to move her body to the ball.''
That rounds out North Shore's "Core 4'', as the coach puts it. But the surprise contributor is freshman outside hitter Amelie Elbaum. There's only one senior starter - Sam Guy.
Despite a small senior class, it's a mature group with nine returnees. Bleiweiss selects a quote to read before each contest. "That guides us through the game,'' Bleiweiss said.
Before South Side, Bleiweiss' quote was on trusting teammates when things aren't perfect. "That helped us,'' Mandell said. "Our motto is we don't play for ourselves but for the person next to us.''
The next hurdle is unbeaten Lynbrook Sept. 28. "We are hoping to go all the way,'' Mandell said. "Everyone on our team wants it and that will play a factor in it. Every team is very good. It comes down to who wants it the most.''
