Glenn girls capture state championship

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- It took the Glenn girls four years to return to a state volleyball final, and they were sick and tired of waiting.

In three lopsided championship games, the Knights (or Spiders, as they prefer to be called) swept Pelham, 25-12, 25-15, 25-13, to win the NYSPHSAA Class B championship at Glens Falls Civic Center Sunday.

It is Glenn's first state title since 2007 and fifth since coach Kevin Harrington took over the program in 1992.

"All of the alumni were wishing us luck before the game, and I'm sure they'll be really happy," said tournament MVP Melissa Rigo, who had eight kills, seven blocks and nine digs. "It's just as important to them as it is to us."

Though the 11-time defending Long Island champions have dominated their local foes, they have struggled in recent years at this tournament. In each year from 2008-10, they were eliminated in the pool play round.

Saturday, they went 6-0 in pool play with two-game wins against Pelham, Marcellus and Johnstown. With Sunday's three-game performance against Pelham, Glenn had perhaps their most dominant championship effort.

"It's just a great feeling," Harrington said. "As I've said so many times, it never gets old. If you can't get excited about this . . . The worst part is, I feel bad for those kids on the other side of the net because I know what that's like. I think we've lost more of these [six] than we've won."

In the opening game, Glenn (16-1) fell behind 3-0 before pulling ahead, as Jackie Malusa and Rigo had back-to-back blocks to take an 11-4 lead. Rigo added an ace on a sinking serve that handcuffed an opposing defender.

In Game 2, Rigo put on a clinic, as she bounced two kills through the legs of two different Pelham players.

Glenn trailed 6-0 in the third game before mounting another early-game comeback. Rigo scored the match's final two points on a block and kill, as the four-year drought had come came to an end.

"It just felt really great because we worked so hard all four years," said senior middle hitter Allison McKenna, who had five kills and four blocks.

"We just played on our game the entire time," Rigo said. "We weren't going to let one point or one game down. You fight for every point."

And Glenn, after a four-year wait, fought its way to the perfect tournament.