Porters come up short during emotional loss to volleyball rival in county finals

There was hardly a dry eye near the Greenport/Southold bench.

The Porters had just lost to Port Jefferson in the Suffolk County Class C girls’ volleyball final, 3-0, at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood on Wednesday night.

It was an emotional time. It marked the end of a highly successful season for Greenport, and losing to a juggernaut like the Royals was no embarrassment.

Still, it was difficult, particularly for the Porters’ seniors, who played their final high school match after what is believed to be the finest volleyball season in the program’s history.

“I feel a lot of emotion,” senior co-captain Riley Whitecavage said. “I’m happy with how far we came. I’m happy that my senior year got to be this long and we ended up here.  I’ve known some of these girls my whole life. I’ve played with them for so long. …. For it to be over, it feels rough to think about.”

Second-seeded Greenport lost to No. 1 Port Jefferson, 25-11, 25-14, 25-14. All three of its losses in a 14-3 season were to the Royals (21-1).

“We had a great season,” senior co-captain Abi Bednoski said. “The best one out of my time here. I’m so proud of the girls. We played our hearts out.”

Added head coach Martin Maningo: “We had a very successful season.  Probably the best volleyball season that Greenport has had in its history.  A lot of positive things to take away from the season.”

The Royals, who won the county crown for the fifth successive year, are a juggernaut and well-oiled machine with volleyball savvy and plenty of talent.

Out of its 67 sets, Port Jefferson lost only five times. Three came in a 3-2 loss to Ward Melville, and two in a 3-2 win over Blue-Point Bayport. Everything else was a sweep. Ward Melville lost to Bay Shore in the Class AAA final, 3-1, before Greenport’s match.

Port Jefferson, which hasn’t lost a match or a set to a league opponent since October 2023, will meet the winner of the Section IX/I sub-regional in the regionals on Nov. 14 at noon.

“Definitely they’re the best team that we’ve ever gone against,” said Whitecavage, who finished with five kills and six assists. “They’re definitely very talented. Even though we always get stumped by them, it’s a great experience to play against them.”

“They are very fast-paced, and their movements are super quick,” Bednoski said. “Their sets are difficult to read. They just play a faster game than we’re used to.”

With junior Annelise Rago serving and recording two aces, the Royals rolled to a 7-0 advantage in the opening set. The Porters led the middle set 5-4, but their foes registered six consecutive points to take command. Thea Mangels contributed two aces as Port Jefferson turned a 4-4 deadlock into an 8-5 lead in the third set.

“We definitely came in with a lot of excitement,” Whitecavage said. “We put everything that we worked towards together. We were focusing on what we wanted to focus on in practice, which was the speed and spots.  There were a few points where we were keeping up with them, so we’re really proud about that. It’s a hard game. We were in the same spot last year, but I’m just happy with how far we came, even though it didn’t go how well we wanted it to.”

Greenport senior Caroline Woods finished with a team-high two aces.

For Port Jefferson, Ava Reilly recorded 33 assists and two aces, and Sara Puopolo tallied 12 kills and 10 digs.

No tears should be shed for the Porters’ future.

Maningo has several talented freshmen returning. That includes Lyla Zablotny (team-high six kills and six assists), Lauryn Bednoski (team-best seven assists), Delphine Garcia (team-leading eight digs), and Scarlett Homer (three assists, three digs, one ace).

“I’m really excited,” Maningo said. “We have eight freshmen up here with us this past season and only four of them cracked the starting lineup. But there’s a handful of them who are right on the cusp, and who needed to skip JV because their skills are more developed at the varsity level.”

Abi Bednoski had similar thoughts.

“I think they are going to strive just to be as good as this year,” she said. “They have shoes to fill, definitely, but I believe in them, and I think they can do it. Most of them have three more years here, and hopefully they can take home the county championship.”