The Bay Shore Volleyball program is built on dedication, teamwork, and a strong competitive spirit. Boys Volleyball currently stands at a solid 12-1 record, while the Girls Volleyball team holds an outstanding 18-0 record. Alongside their remarkable achievements, Long Island news sources have shined a spotlight on local volleyball talent and several Bay Shore athletes were featured on the top player charts. 

Newsday released a list of the top 50 boys volleyball players on Long Island and the top 100 girls volleyball players. Bay Shore players included are Niall Haughney, Kelsie Kennedy, Haven Mills, and Zareb Gonzalez. These rankings are based on player statistics, coach input, and reporter evaluations from the previous season. Long Island Volleyball came out with a  top 10 Girls and top 10 Boys list of high school volleyball players to watch. Two Bay Shore players — Niall Haughney and Kelsie Kennedy — were featured. Kennedy being ranked 3rd and Haughney being ranked 5th. Haven Mills, and Zarab Gonzalez were also selected for Honorable Mention. Long Island Volleyball is an independent outlet run by a former player who attends games across the island, posting highlights and tracking standout performances throughout the seasons 

Teamwork leads to success 

The Bay Shore Girls Volleyball team has accomplished so much together as a team, although they have faced challenges and hardships. 

Junior Kelsie Kennedy has played libero on the varsity team since her eighth-grade season. Outside of school, she plays for the Academy Volleyball. Kelsie’s talent speaks for itself. In 2024 she was named on Newsday’s second team for their All-Long Island girls volleyball team. Her other honors include: All League, Rookie of the year, Defensive Player of the year, and All Classification. This year she was named to the AVCA phenom watch list. Despite her success, Kennedy has faced struggles along the way.

 “I’ve been playing like eight or nine years of my life and you go through many mental blocks where you don’t think you’re good enough,” said Kennedy. “I think just having the mentality about moving on to the next point and knowing that it’s okay to fail is very important.” 

While Kennedy has faced many mental blocks and struggles, her team’s bond and atmosphere have been sources of support for her. 

“We definitely have a very positive energetic atmosphere always and I think one thing we work on and what’s very important for our team is reassurance on the court, off the court and encouraging each other,” said Kennedy. “It always helps bring up the mood and any bad situation that we are in.” 

Strength in leadership 

Senior Niall Haughney has been on the Boys Varsity Volleyball since his freshman year of high school. Haughney plays middle hitter and was named on Newsday’s second team for their All-Long Island boys volleyball team and on their All-County team in 2024. As of October 2025, he ranked 25th in kills and 16th in blocks among all Long Island players for the fall 2025 season. He also has been playing for Academy Volleyball outside of school since his junior year of high school. Beyond his strengths as an individual, Haughney acts as a leader on his team.

“We really don’t have assigned captains on the team, but I try to be a leader everywhere by picking up my teammates…” said Haughney. “We’re all a pretty close knit group so it doesn’t take much to pick each other up, we all love each other.” 

Over time Haughney has learned how changing your mindset to grow mentally stronger shifts your focus from fear to fun.

“Before games, nerves and anxieties tend to kick in as players think about pressures,” said Haughey. “I would say early on when I was younger, I had a lot of mental stuff like playing in big games and big moments it can get to you, but as you just grow in life you realize that none of it really matters that much, don’t take it as serious just have fun”. 

Behind Every Win

Behind Bay Shore’s impressive Volleyball season for both the Girls Varsity Volleyball team and Boys Volleyball team stands a coaching staff dedicated to building both skill and character. Coaches play a big role in instilling core values in their players.  Girls Coach Jamie Soldinger has been coaching  volleyball since 2021 and was named the Suffolk County – League One Coach of the Year in 2023.

“From day one in August we really talked about being good teammates. It’s such a team oriented sport and having six people on. You really know that you can’t do it alone,” said Soldinger. “We do have 17 girls so having six people on, we talk about the bench being as involved so really just pushing that, and being good teammates.” 

Soldinger emphasizes that communication isn’t just about talking, it’s about understanding, trust, the bond that keeps the team together, and that the skills these players develop stick with them forever.

“We know that volleyball might not be in their lives forever but you still have to learn how to work with other people so pushing those communication skills and learning how to work with other people,” said Soldinger. 

While the overall goal is team success, the coaches also emphasize individual growth by making sure each player develops their own strengths and confidence while contributing to the teams collective performance. Coach Mark Jensen has been coaching men’s volleyball for Bay Shore since 2021. For Jensen, it’s important that he maintain a balance between individual player development and overall team goals by focusing on how each player is their own person, and how they’re all different from one another.

“We do have a very competitive, very athletic group, but everybody on this team is very different in their own ways, so I do have to take a lot of time to kinda work with kids a little extra after practice, before practice, and talk to kids on their own a little bit,” said Jensen. “I make sure that I remember that everyone is their own person because as similar as some of these guys are and as close as they all are they still are very very different, so you always got to remember that as a coach.”

Building Towards the Future

The Bay Shore Volleyball program continues to be successful, not just because of talented athletes, but because of the close bonds they form. As the team grows together, their commitment and hard work will pave the way for future athletes ensuring that the program’s tradition of excellence will continue for years to come.