Half Hollow Hills West girls volleyball defeats Horace Greeley in state Class AA regional final
Veronica Pelis of Half Hollow Hills West fields the Harborfields serve during the Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball final in Hauppauge on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Half Hollow Hills West has outperformed its competition all season and reached heights the program hasn’t seen in more than two decades.
The Colts defeated Horace Greeley, 25-23, 25-27, 31-29, 25-22, in the state public school Class AA Southeast Regional final on Saturday afternoon at Yorktown High School. The Colts hadn’t appeared in the state tournament since they won the Class B championship in 2000.
“Everyone has worked hard and dealt with the ups and downs,” Veronica Pelis said. “The losses in past county championships, just helped us come together and get to where we are today.”
Mary Wolcott had 25 assists and 16 kills, Alexis Pelis had 16 kills, Emily Dantona had nine kills and three blocks and Ella Corso had six kills. Morgan Wolcott had four aces and Veronica Pelis had eight digs.
Tied at 23 in the first set, the Colts (20-0) got a kill from Corso and an ace from Veronica Pelis to take the set.
The Colts had set point at 24-20 in the second set, but Horace Greeley scored the next five, taking the set 27-25.
Each team had numerous opportunities to put away the third set, but with the score tied at 29, the Colts took advantage. Dantona had a kill and Mary Wolcott followed with a fake set, tapping the ball over the net to take the third set.
“We’ve all been in high-intensity situations before,” Pelis said. “This is what we expected and we just continue to tell ourselves that we can do it, just have to take it point by point.”
Hills West advances to the pool play semifinal round beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. The final is Saturday.
“All match I was thinking that this could be our last and I wanted to play my best so it wouldn’t be,” Dantona said. “When we compete how we’re capable of, I don’t think anyone can stop us.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.