Ward Melville boys volleyball tops Sachem North to claim second straight Suffolk Div. I title

Kyle Fagan is no stranger to big matches.

When the lights are the brightest, the Penn State commit is at his best.

Fagan totaled 38 kills, a block and an ace to lead top-seeded Ward Melville to a 19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-22 win over No. 2 Sachem North in the Suffolk Division I boys volleyball final Tuesday at Longwood High School.

It’s Ward Melville’s second straight county title and fourth overall. Last year, Fagan racked up 43 kills in the county final.

“You’re playing against the best teams, so you have to play your best,” Fagan said. “You want to show that your team belongs here.”

The Patriots rebounded well from a nightmarish first set, in which they missed eight serves and committed several other errors.

“Sachem North played really well that first set. I don’t think they made many mistakes, if any,” coach Brian O’Shaughnessy said. “The fact that they played so clean and we gifted them so many points, it was a good wake up call for our guys.”

After playing clean in the second and third sets, Fagan dominated the fourth with 14 kills. Even when everyone in the gym knew the ball was being set to him, there wasn’t much to be done with his thunderous hits.

“When I’m playing back row, I just watch him fly,” senior Shaun Mischler said. “He destroys the ball in a second. Every time he hits the ball, I’m just shocked at how fast it goes. He’s just a phenomenal player.”

Mischler had 10 kills and two aces, Reed Bhella had five kills and Eddie Shields had a crucial block to give the Patriots a 21-19 lead in the fourth set.

Sam Morreale had 21 kills and two blocks, Jake Spring had 11 kills and Jacob Tonnies made several acrobatic digs to keep plays alive for Sachem North (13-4).

Ward Melville (15-1) has been the top seed in Suffolk I since the preseason. The Patriots will look to win their second straight Long Island title when they face the Nassau representative in the Southeast Regional Final at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 at East Meadow High School.

“My sophomore year, we were that team in the regular season,” Fagan said. “We were 14-1 and we rolled into the playoffs and lost in the first round at home. My brother was a senior and watching him end his career like that is what motivated me to this point. When you have those expectations, you have to live up to them.”