Alex Stein propels Ward Melville and returns to Suffolk final
Ward Melville's Alex Stein (8) hits the spike for the kill between the arms of Smithtown East's Allie Brady (11) during a Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball semifinal at Ward Melville High School on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Victoria Tilley said the Ward Melville girls volleyball team has struggled all year early in matches.
Considering the Patriots entered Monday's Suffolk Class AA semifinal against visiting Smithtown East undefeated and losers of just one set all year, it's safe to say that slow starts have not doomed Tilley and her teammates.
No. 3 Smithtown East had the No. 2 Patriots facing elimination, leading entering the fourth set, but Ward Melville rallied for a 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-14 victory to advance to the county final.
"We could be late starters a lot," Tilley said, "but we always bring it together in the end."
Alex Stein had 28 kills, 10 digs, three blocks and two aces, Tilley had 14 kills and four blocks and Lara Atalay had 14 kills and three blocks.
But it was Ashley Fuchs (eight kills, eight digs) who made the game-changing play. With the fourth set tied at 14, the sophomore slid across the baseline for a dig that helped Ward Melville (18-0) take its first lead of the set. Smithtown East coach George Alamia called timeout, and the Patriots never trailed again.
"Sometimes it takes a play like that to get us back in the mode," Tilley said.
With the defense struggling, Ward Melville coach Charles Fernandes called on Claire O'Hern to replace Ellen Li at libero near the midway point of the match. The two have rotated all season, based on developments in each match, and O'Hern stepped up with nine digs.
"They're both so committed to the team that there's no ego," Fernandes said. "They switch shirts and move on."
As Ward Melville's defense strengthened and Fuchs shifted the momentum, Smithtown East (16-1) had a tougher time. The Bulls got solid contributions from Kendra Harlow (19 kills), Haley Anderson (15 kills and 12 digs), Morgan Catalanotto (15 digs) and Jackie Cuccurullo (42 assists), but the Patriots were prepared to finish strongly, as usual.
"I think the fourth set rolled right into the fifth," Fernandes said. "That was like an avalanche."
Stein, a senior, is the only current Patriot who played on the 2012 county champion. She'll have a chance to bookend her career with titles when Ward Melville faces No. 1 Connetquot 8 p.m. Thursday at Suffolk CC-Brentwood.
"We went out there [in 2012]," Stein said, "and took it from the start, from point one."
As long as these Patriots finish strongly, it shouldn't matter.
