Husmann, Massapequa hand Plainview JFK first loss
Massapequa's Christopher Husmann spikes the ball past Plainview's Greg Rankel in the Nassau high school boys volleyball game. (Oct. 21, 2010) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Massapequa had been here before and lost. Losing a second five-game conference match, however, would not be an option.
Down 2-1, the Chiefs won the final two games to upend previously unbeaten Plainview JFK, 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, last night in Nassau Conference I.
After blowing a 2-0 lead to Port Washington on Oct. 13, Massapequa mounted the comeback and finished the job.
"We wanted it more," junior Chris Husmann said. "We had players step up and we just wanted it more."
Husmann had 13 kills and sophomore Christian Smith added 16 kills.
The first game began inauspiciously for the Chiefs when they used an incorrect server whose two service points were wiped from the board. Down 17-20, a crucial service fault put Plainview up four points. Middle hitter Greg Rankel's service ace at 23-20 bounced off the fingers of Massapequa libero Frank DelGiudice.
After falling behind 19-18 in Game 2, the Chiefs (9-1) won seven of the final nine points to even the match at 1. But Plainview (10-1) rebounded in the third, building an early 9-2 lead before Massapequa tied it at 18. At 22-20, consecutive kills from Ben Strack and Matt Benjamin put Plainview on the precipice of a perfect regular season.
But Massapequa would regroup. "We didn't play well those first few games," Husmann said.
Added Smith: "We were still confident. We missed seven serves in the first set. You can't kill yourself like that when you are playing close games."
Rankel, who had 19 kills and five blocks, said his team gave away too many points in the final two sets. "We were not getting the ball over the net and we gave them all of these free balls they were able to use," Rankel said. "We had nothing to play with because of our bad service games."
After falling behind 8-3 in Game 4, the Chiefs won six straight points, and with the game tied at 21, four straight service points sealed it.
In the fifth game, the Chiefs would take the early lead and never relent.
Massapequa faces Syosset (9-1) in its season finale on Tuesday in a match that will have playoff seeding implications.
