Katarzyna Kasza chose girls soccer. Monique Arantes moved with her family out to Long Island. They were two of only three returning starters.
As the dominos fell, Long Island City girls volleyball coach Tom Lehman could see his team’s chances of having a strong season diminishing.
“I expected to compete for a playoff spot,” Lehman said.
He didn’t anticipate how much his role players from 2008 improved. After a wild, 27-25, 24-26, 25-22 win against Newtown at home Monday, Long Island City is a perfect 8-0 in PSAL Queens A7.
The Bulldogs are much more than just a playoff team now.
The secret? Hard work in the offseason. The Bulldogs participated in the Big Apple Games over the summer at Long Island City, working with Anna Dawidowska, who was about to start her first year with the Grover Cleveland boys, and Academy of American Studies boys volleyball coach Josh Yang.
“That’s the biggest difference between this team and my teams in the past,” Lehman said.
Amanda Grippi, LIC’s lone returning starter, was a known commodity at outside hitter. She’s one of the best servers in the division and has been a regular since sophomore year. Setter Evelyn Florentino, a senior, has emerged as the team’s other leader after being used in a backup role in 2008.
“She’s the best setter I’ve ever coached,” said Lehman, in his sixth year with the Bulldogs. “She really controls everything. She gets loud. She’s like almost our point guard.”
Florentino (nine assists, five kills Monday) was vocal last year, but she’s making more of an impact now that she has become a fine setter.
“In all sports, when you start producing, everyone listens,” Lehman said.
Junior Lucia Stosic has also been a pleasant surprise. The 6-foot middle played JV last year and was timid and shy, Lehman said. No longer. She has 13 blocks, more than any other player the coach has had in a single season. Stosic had eight kills and three blocks against Newtown.
“She has so much more confidence this year,” Lehman said.
He credits the Big Apple Games with that as well. The coach isn’t sure if this is the best squad he’s had at LIC – the Bulldogs won the division two years ago – but it’s in the discussion.
“I think this team is more balanced,” said Lehman, who uses a nine-player rotation. “I feel that every single girl I put in can play the whole game.”
LIC will have at least two more major tests before the playoffs. The Bulldogs play second-place Academy of American Studies on Nov. 6 and compete in the Bayard Rustin tournament – their first tourney of the season – the weekend before seeding.
This, as Lehman said before, isn’t quite where he saw this team headed in August.
“Unexpected,” he said. “But I’ll take it.”
