Stella Becker leads Kellenberg to CHSAA girls volleyball title
Kellenberg celebrates its win in the CHSAA girls volleyball final between Kellenberg and Scared Heart on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. Credit: Neil Miller
Stella Becker is only a junior, but she looked ready for the collegiate game in the CHSAA final at SUNY Old Westbury on Friday night.
Becker had 14 kills help No. 1 Kellenberg capture the CHSAA title with a 25-21, 25-15, 25-22, win over No. 2 Sacred Heart.
Kellenberg claimed the first point of the match, but the Firebirds trailed for most of the first set as Sacred Heart’s Grace Profitlich and Dani Tansey made it difficult to tally kills.
“Our motto is not to win, it’s to dominate,” Becker said. “So, when we were down, it’s not win but to dominate the points to get back up.”
The Firebirds didn’t take the lead again until 17-16. The teams traded points until a block by Becker allowed Kellenberg to score four consecutive points to win the first set.
“One of the call words we use a lot is “composure,” coach Catherine von Schoenermarck said. “If we can rely on our body of work even if the scoreboard is not reflecting it, it’s going to come out all right in the end.”
The end of the first set proved to be a sign of more to come for Kellenberg as Bianca Sapano — who was later named the player of the match — continued to set up Baker and Julia Maniscalco for kills.
“I just try and stay calm throughout all the points,” said Sapano, who finished with 29 assists and seven blocks. “Being a setter it’s not the easiest thing, but I couldn’t have done it without all the girls on my team.”
Maniscalco symbolized the fire Kellenberg played with throughout the match. Whether it was a diving dig late in the second set or her powerful kill that sealed the 25-15 set point, her roar of passion paired with her clenched fists helped set the tone,
“She brings so much energy to the team all the time,” Sapano said.
Kellenberg (14-0) will head to the regionals in search of a state title.
Despite the loss, Sacred Heart did not seem out of its element while facing a Kellenberg team that beat them twice in three sets during the regular season. Tansey and Kelly O’Brien were the focal points of Sacred Heart’s attack, which concluded its season with a 12-4 record.
