The names on the uniforms are still the same.
“Mineola” is still affixed to the back of Julianna Speranza’s black volleyball shirt, with her number 17 on the front.
But just about everything else has changed this season for Speranza. When she looks around at the other girls on the floor with her, Speranza must feel like a stranger in a familiar land.
Gone is Keira McCaffrey, the dominating hitter who led the Mustangs to incredible heights last season, including a Nassau county championship, a Long Island title, and a spot in the Class A state semifinals.
Also no longer around are the Kenney twins, Liz and Caitlin, who were twin blocks of granite on the front line, blocking and smashing everything that came their way.
In all, Speranza is the only returning starter of the sextet that brought the Mustangs so much glory, and a parade in town, in 2023.
Still, the 5-foot-6 outside hitter insists things are not all that different.
“I mean, yes, losing all those strong players we lost, I knew this year would be a challenge, and be a very different team,” she said in a recent interview. “It’s been a hard adjustment so far, but we still have talent and with time our team will come together.”
Predictably, the influx of new players, and the loss of college-level talent, has meant a rocky start to the 2024 season; the Mustangs opened 1-4 in regular season play.
But Speranza is one steady constant coach Hyunah Park knows she can count on. Small for her position, Speranza makes up for her vertical challenges by being speedy and accurate with her kills. Last season she finished with 137 digs, 112 kills and 16 aces.
“Her power, and her agility make her stand out,” Park said. “She’s also an excellent defensive player, and has become a big leader for us, for the younger kids who are new to the team.”
And, Speranza said, the former stars of Mineola are still in her head constantly during practices and games.
“I take what I learned from them and I do hear their voices reminding me of certain things,” she said. “When things are not going well I hear Keira or Liz reminding me not to get down, to get up and show the other players we still can win, and just bring everybody up.”
Speranza isn’t too far removed from last fall’s magic to still revel in it.
“It feels like a dream, still,” she said of Mineola winning the L.I. championship for the first time. “I was so glad to be a part of it, and honestly it boosted my love for the sport.
Speranza’s love for the sport began as a kid tagging alongside sister Daniella, three years her senior. When Julianna was in second grade she was at one of Daniella’s CYO practices and picked up a ball, then served it clear over the net.
“The coach was shocked,” she recalled with a laugh.
She began playing club volleyball and steadily improved as she entered Mineola High, getting called up from JV as a freshman toward the end of the season.
But before her sophomore year Speranza tore the labrum in her right shoulder. She tried to play through it but the pain was too great, and she was off the court for months.
While that experience was awful, Speranza said she gained a career idea from it.
“I really want to be a radiology technician, because I went for so many tests and scans for my shoulder that I got really interested in it,” she said. “It’s a really important and interesting job.”
Park said Speranza has been extremely helpful to the team’s newer players, and said her senior could play in college, though Speranza isn’t sure she wants to.
Until then, she’s focused on watching as much college volleyball as she can (the powerhouse University of Nebraska is her favorite team), shopping at the Roosevelt Field mall, and trying to get the Mustangs back in winning mode.
“It’s been difficult but we have a great attitude and really are getting better each day,” Speranza said. “I like trying to lift people up, as much as I can, and I think we’re going to turn things around.”
