Kyle Fagan, Ward Melville boys volleyball unbeatable in LI Div. I championship

Throughout the Suffolk County playoffs, Kyle Fagan proved that he is unstoppable.

But Saturday at Center Moriches, the entire Ward Melville boys volleyball team was unstoppable.

Fagan still led the way with 16 kills, three aces and a block, but the likes of Brady Reyling, Shaun Mischler and Shawn Legge stepped up in the Patriots’ 25-20, 25-14, 25-22 win over Syosset in the Long Island Division I championship match.

It’s Ward Melville’s first Long Island title in program history.

“We have a lot of amazing players,” Fagan said. “They all showed up at the right time and did their jobs.”

“When you’re getting contributions from all around, it makes the job a lot easier,” coach Brian O’Shaughnessy added. “It felt like Kyle didn’t have to do everything, which was nice to see everyone step up big.”

Mischler stepped up at the start of the third set with several strong serves, including two aces, in a 9-0 run. He finished with four aces, three kills and a block.

“I was just locked in on hitting every spot I was trying to hit,” Mischler said. “I was mostly going for the corners and I was able to execute a lot of them.”

The serving was strong all day, as Ward Melville’s servers limited mistakes and kept the ball in play and in quality spots. Eddie Shields had two aces and Nick Ragonese added one ace.

“When they’re able to go back there with confidence and hit their spots, it helps set up our defense,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We preach being confident at the serving line and controlling both the receiving and the serving.”

Brady Reyling helped the Patriots get out to a 16-5 lead in the third set, in which he had four kills and a block. Syosset went on a late run and trailed 23-22, but consecutive kills by Legge and Fagan shut the door.

Reyling totaled five kills and two blocks and Legge had seven kills and a block.

Aaron Johnson had 12 kills for Syosset, which finished 16-3.

Ward Melville (12-6) advances to the pool play round of the state Division I championship, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Albany Capital Center.

“I also play basketball, and I was talking to some of the guys leading up to this game and saying, ‘How about we win, so I don’t have to start playing basketball yet?’ ” Reyling said. “Nothing against basketball, but we get to play more volleyball now and that’s an awesome feeling.”