Glenn girls advance in state volleyball
Glenn's Alexis Groark looks to block in the NYSPHSAA Class B girls volleyball pool play match against Ardsley on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Glenn girls volleyball had experienced the feeling of elimination in a playoff set once before.
Simi Familusi and Grace Cergol ensured the Knights would not experience it again.
Familusi had eight kills and Cergol had four kills and six assists to lead Glenn, 25-22, over Ardsley in a playoff set at the Glens Falls Civic Center, earning the Knights a place in the Class B state championship match. Glenn is seeking its third state title in four years when it faces Williamsville South here Sunday at noon.
Glenn was denied a third straight trip to the state final last season when it lost in a playoff set to Oswego.
"It proves that what happened 'yesterday' doesn't matter if you make it better today," Familusi said. "We're a completely different team now. What we lack in experience we make up in heart."
Glenn, Ardsley and Williamsville South all finished pool play with a 4-2 record. Williamsville South advanced as the first place team thanks to a superior point differential, while Ardsley and Glenn played a one-set playoff.
"I'm so proud of the way my kids came back," Glenn coach Kevin Harrington said. "We were down by five , and we battled back and I can't say enough about they played."
"Grace was money in that last game and Simi was doing it all day," Harrington added.
"I couldn't be happier," Cergol said. "It feel so great to know we pulled everything together in the end and worked together."
Massapequa, Kings Park, Mattituck fall
Earlier in the day, Massapequa was eliminated from the Class AA tournament, Kings Park was knocked out in Class A, and Mattituck fell in Class C.
"I'm extremely proud of them," Massapequa coach CarolAnn Habeeb-Kiel said. "How many other teams wish they were in our shoes? We played hard. You come hear to play the best of the best. I just hope they enjoyed the experience."
Massapequa, which came into Saturday with a 15-0 record, finished in third in the Class AA tournament. The Chiefs went 2-4 in pool play.
"The whole season was so much fun," Massapequa senior libero Mikayla Porr said. "There was never a dull moment on the court, there was never a time when we were upset or not enjoying every moment."
"We had such a great season, we had such a great team. These are my best friends. They're my sisters," Massapequa senior Allie Dillon said. "It was a great experience, it was great to be here. It's something you don't experience unless you are one of the 16 or so teams that are here playing."
Kings Park, which entered the day at 20-0, finished third in the Class A tournament for the fourth straight season, and went 1-5 in pool play.
"It's very disappointing, we wanted a different outcome," Kings Park coach Elizabeth Manly said. "We have to be proud of this accomplishment. We have to be really proud of what we've done."
The day ended the distinguished careers of Kings Park's Amanda Gannon and Emily Stephens, who both won four Long Island championships. Gannon had seven kills in Kings Park's 1-1 spit against Burnt Hills and in the team's two sets against Pittsford-Sutherland, Gannon had seven kills and Stephens had four kills.
While Mattituck dropped all six sets in Class C, Emilie Reimer said her team was proud of all it accomplished this season.
"It means the world to just get here," the senior said. "We had no idea we were going to get this far. Getting here is just the icing on the cake for a great year."
