Port Jefferson wins first Suffolk volleyball title since '04
Port Jefferson celebrates its come-from-behind victory in the Suffolk Class C girls volleyball championship against Mattituck on Monday in Hauppauge. Credit: Dawn McCormick
After Erin Henry swung her arm for the final point, she almost couldn’t believe what she and her team had just accomplished.
No. 2 Port Jefferson trailed 2-0 to top-seeded Mattituck in the Suffolk Class C girls volleyball final, but they weren’t ready to give up.
The Royals clawed their way back into the game and forced a deciding fifth set. When Henry’s attack touched the floor, Port Jefferson’s comeback was completed.
Port Jefferson defeated Mattituck 19-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-12 Monday night at Hauppauge High School to earn its first county title since 2004.
“It was shocking,” said Henry, a junior. “I would go back to that moment any minute if could.”
Port Jefferson jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the fifth set, but Mattituck (14-3) cut the deficit to 9-7, forcing a Port Jefferson timeout.
The timeout served as a mental reset for the Royals, who then won three straight points for a 12-7 lead.
“Naturally, there were nerves,” said senior Sophia Wennerod, who earned a block for the 14th point in the final set. “In our heads, we weren’t going to let it slip.”
“You can’t be afraid to swing as hard as you can, you just have to be smart with it,” Henry added. “You need to fully swing and believe that you’re going to get it over for that kill.”
Being afraid was the reason Port Jefferson went down two sets early. At one point, they trailed 15-2 in the first set.
“We were playing afraid. We were afraid to mess up,” head coach CJ Hafner said. “The message was that we needed to play our volleyball. They came out in the third set and immediately changed the momentum.”
The Royals played with more fire from the third set on, celebrating after each point like it was the most important one.
“We played every point like it was the last,” Wennerod said.
Henry finished with 24 digs, 15 kills, three aces and one assist and Wennerod had 10 digs, nine kills, three blocks and one assist. Olivia Sherman led Port Jefferson with 18 kills and Alexa Ayotte had 46 assists.
“The girls had their backs against the wall and I give them all the credit in the world for everything they did today,” Hafner said.
Port Jefferson (16-3) will face Nassau champion Oyster Bay for the Class C Long Island title at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Hauppauge.
