Eastport-South Manor boys volleyball's Jack Cain helps Sharks extend winning streak to 26 straight matches
Jack Cain of Eastport-South Manor goes up for a spike during a Suffolk boys volleyball game against host West Islip on Tuesday. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
It’s reasonable to expect Eastport-South Manor to experience a decline after losing one of the best boys volleyball players in Long Island history.
But the Sharks have picked up right where they left off.
Jack Cain had 17 kills, four blocks and two aces to lead the reigning Division II state champions to a 25-15, 25-22, 25-20 win over host West Islip on Tuesday.
Cain and Tyler Bottcher have taken over leadership roles with reigning Newsday Player of the Year Ayden DesLauriers in his first semester at Loyola Chicago.
“With everybody last year saying it was just the Ayden train, it’s kind of offensive to us,” Cain said. “It wasn’t just him. It took all of us to win states.”
“It’s definitely pushing us more,” Bottcher said. “We don’t have Ayden and we’re undefeated. We have other players that can perform.”
Of course, there’s still a mutual love between the Sharks and DesLauriers, who watches every game and sends words of encouragement to coach Bill Kropp.
DesLauriers was thrilled with the Sharks’ energy in the first set, which was as clean as any set they played during last year’s playoff run. Cain and Mason Gatchalian combined for four kills and three blocks early to give ESM a 9-3 lead.
West Islip rallied in the second set, with Zach Thomas and Nick Dempsey combining for three straight kills to tie it at 22. After a timeout, Cain put down a kill to regain the lead and two points later, Memphis Lanier served up an ace to close the set.
ESM showed its versatility in the third, with James Talamini leading the way with five kills and a block, Cain and Andrew Dragos each tallying three kills and Gatchalian adding two kills.
“Teams would triple block Ayden, but he could hit over them,” Kropp said. “Now it’s like, is it gonna go to [Andrew] Santangelo? Is it gonna go to Mason? If you double team Jack, then we’ll go outside to Dragos. It’s more fun because we have to work on getting everybody involved.”
“Most of our starters have been playing on the same club team for a few years now, so we can feel each other on the court,” Cain said. “We move together like a unit.”
Talamini had nine kills and two blocks, Dragos had nine kills and a block and Santangelo had three kills. Bottcher had 17 digs and Lanier had 40 assists.
Thomas had 16 kills and an ace and Dempsey had 15 kills and a block for West Islip (5-2).
ESM (8-0) has won 26 straight matches dating back to the start of last season.
Said Bottcher: “I think if we keep working hard, we’ll be just as good as last year, if not better.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
