Katie Von Kampen leads Connetquot to Suffolk Class AA volleyball final
Connetquot's Katie Von Kampen goes for the ball during a Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball semifinal on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Credit: Richard T. Slattery
Connetquot girls volleyball has stood out for its youth the last two seasons, but on Monday a senior led the way.
Katie Von Kampen, one of the Thunderbirds' two seniors, had 11 kills and nine blocks to lead No. 1 Connetquot over No. 4 Smithtown West in a Suffolk Class AA semifinal. Nicole Migliozzi had 34 assists, Cassandra Patsos had 10 kills and eight blocks, Mackenzie Cole had 13 digs and her sister Taylor had four aces for the Thunderbirds, who won, 25-8, 25-22, 25-15.
Connetquot (18-0) will face No. 2 Ward Melville in the county final at 8 p.m. on Thursday at Suffolk CC-Brentwood.
"It's a crazy feeling, it's extremely exciting," said Von Kampen, who was a dominant force in the middle in her final game at Connetquot's gym.
"Katie's had such a great season and she's such a leader to this group of kids," coach Justin Hertz said. "She always has a positive energy. It's vital to have senior leadership."
The Thunderbirds won the "AA" county title last season, led by five freshmen starters, the so-called "Fresh Five." This season the team added underclassmen -- Mackenzie Cole dubbed her classmates the "Soph Seven" -- but was not underestimated.
"We were the underdogs with nothing to lose last year, but this year there were high expectations for us and we're ready to live up to them," she said.
It was evident these expectations were warranted after the first set, when Connetquot took the first eight points and won by 17, punctuated by a powerful kill from Patsos.
Smithtown West (15-4) responded in a hard-fought second set, and after falling behind 16-6, cut its deficit to 20-16. The visitors trailed 24-18, but fought off four set points before Patsos earned a second set-winning kill.
Connetquot finished off the match in the third, aided by timely points from Van Kampen, Patsos and Mackenzie Taylor (seven kills in the match).
"We kept our composure and maintained a positive attitude throughout the match," Patsos said.
"It's amazing experiencing this journey with this team," said Migliozzi, the Thunderbirds' setter. "I'm never nervous to put the ball up because I know I have such a solid team around me."
Connetquot's hitters, including Von Kampen and Patsos, expressed the same confidence in Migliozzi.
"I might be the senior, but everyone has their own ways that they lead," Von Kampen said. "This was a total team effort."
