Blue Devil Girls’ Volleyball Has a Plan

Jake Torres has a plan. He is striving to develop the Huntington High School girls’ volleyball program into a county power. He knows it will take time, but he’s confident he can do it.

Torres definitely has his work cut out for him. He created a four year plan, which has been discussed many times with the Blue Devil athletic office. No one is looking for a quick fix, preferring that the program be developed the right way.

While Huntington made the playoffs in back to back seasons in 2023 and 2024 for the first time in decades, it graduated several seniors that had been mainstays in the varsity lineup. Torres went with a young lineup that was generally competitive, but not strong enough just year to win consistently.

“I was a first year coach that entered the season encouraging a lot of behavior changes to influence the culture in a positive direction,” Torres said. “There was an adjustment period as they were getting used to a new coach and his style of coaching and volleyball play. I give them credit for how they adjusted throughout the season.”

The roster was comprised of three seniors, eight juniors and four sophomores. “It took a lot of time to build chemistry and have the student athletes open up to each other because they were not used to playing with each other,” Torres said. “I believe we made a lot of strides toward playing the game the right way and becoming better teammates/individuals. Toward the second half of the season, I received multiple compliments from other coaches and referees on individual performances, the team being scrappy and ‘The girls have come along way. They are moving really well on the court.’”

Huntington will return 12-of-15 players next fall. Jocelyn Thorbourne was an All-League setter. “Maddy Falk, Gabby Jones, Khi Casey, Amelia Carino, Melanie Rodriguez and others will be an important part of our team next year,” Torres said. “The JV team went 9-9 and showed great improvement and positivity throughout the season. Credit to coach [Lauren] Blackburn.”

Huntington played in Suffolk League II in the AAA conference. It was whole new conference. Emily Barba led the team in kills (118) and digs (134). Jocelyn Thorbourne led the team in assists (223).

Here’s what Coach Torres had to say about some of the top players”

Emily Barba: “Emily played a key role in both offense and defense,” Torres said. “She scored 118 times this season. On the defensive end, she added 134 digs. In addition, she passed in serve-receive all six rotations. Emily loves volleyball and plays that way. She was a pleasure to coach.”

Madeline Falk: “Maddy Falk was named a junior captain by her peers,” Torres said. “She played multiple positions for us this year (middle blocker, outside hitter and opposite). She had 49 kills this year. I look forward to her role increasing as a leader and player next year.”

Jocelyn Thorbourne: “Jocelyn Thorbourne was a key piece to running our offense,” Torres said. “She led the team in assists with 223. Jocelyn grew a lot this season as a setter. I look forward to seeing her transform into a leader next year.”

One of the highlights of the fall campaign came at the Dig Pink game at Louis D. Giani Gymnasium. “The girls raised over $400 to donate to breast cancer awareness and research,” Torres said. “The game is bigger than just volleyball. The girls helped participate in a bake sale, and concession stands after school and during the games. We won against North Babylon in five games, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to take the final two games.”