Port Jefferson's dream season ends in state final loss
Port Jefferson's Olivia Sherman tries to get behind defenders during the New York State Class C girls volleyball championship against Portville at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, N.Y., on Sunday. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. —- From the time last season ended with a loss in the Suffolk championship match, the Port Jefferson girls volleyball team wanted to get back to work.
Coach CJ Hafner remembered Erin Henry and Olivia Sherman coming to him to set up a practice just days after the loss.
“And they all have that mentality,” Hafner said.
Although the ultimate dream of the first state title in program history eluded them Sunday at Cool Insuring Arena in a 25-11, 25-17, 25-10 loss to Portville in the Class C final, Port Jefferson will have plenty of positive experiences to look back on after a historic season for the program.
“In the huddle near the end I was trying to tell them to remember where they came from — from a team that barely made the playoffs two years ago to winning a league championship and losing in the county final last year, to this,” Hafner said. “They should be so proud and how they set the tone for the younger girls that are up with us now. The experience here lets them know the effort you have to put in.”
And the effort level stayed high until the very end. Even as the team gathered at a house rented by some of the team parents they still made sure to find time to get in a film session before the state final.
“We used to watch film a little bit but everybody didn’t always take it seriously,” senior Maggie Johnston said. “This year we really wanted to do it and it’s helped us to be smarter and have better plans and plays.”
It became a staple in the postseason with Port Jefferson (18-4) often getting to work on the bus ride back from their playoff wins.
“It didn’t work out today but it just shows the work ethic that they have,” Hafner said. “A few of them told me that last night they had never watched this much film before.”
The results speak for themselves.
“I don’t think any of us expected to be here and we all took it in because it meant so much,” said Sherman, who had seven kills on Sunday. "All of us being together meant so much and it was such a great bonding moment.”
The next version of the Port Jefferson girls volleyball team will look markedly different having to replace six seniors who all made contributions.
“We’re all sad about what happened but we have come a long way this year,” Johnston said. “I know later on we’ll be able to look back more and be proud of what we did.”
Said Hafner: “They’ve made history so many times this year for Port Jeff. 2022 will be all over banners in the gym and they’ll always be a part of that.”
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.
