Kings Park wins its first LI Class A title
Emile Stephens #11 of Kings Park drives a shot past Lauren Pennini #11 of Wantagh during the Class A Long Island High School girls volleyball regional finals at St. Joseph's College on Saturday in Patchogue, New York. (Nov. 12, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Kings Park is going to state.
After dropping the first two games, the Kings Park girls volleyball team beat defending champion Wantagh, 17-25, 26-28, 25-18, 25-20, 29-27, yesterday to win its first girls Class A Long Island/southeast regional title.
The end of the fifth game brought both teams to the brink and back again. Kings Park had four match points in the fifth and let them slip away. Wantagh failed to capitalize on two match points, and then the Kingsmen made their last, gallant stand.
Kendall Corcoran had 58 assists, Joelle Goldstein had 15 kills and Jessica Levonick had 13 kills as Kings Park's dream season continues Saturday at the state tournament in Glens Falls.
"Losing the first two games and winning the last three . . . we're going to states," Goldstein said. "This has never happened to Kings Park volleyball."
But the Kingsmen (20-2) were on the ropes early, as they were unable to convert on four game points in the second. The Warriors (18-1) scored six straight to take a 2-0 lead in games. "We stayed very composed and mentally tough," Levonick said.
In the fourth game, Goldstein had a perfectly placed touch shot that put the Kingsmen ahead 23-19. A net violation on the ensuing point brought Wantagh within three, but Kings Park scored the next two to tie the match at two games apiece.
"While losing the first two games was definitely a downer, we didn't let it get to us," Levonick said. "We kept working."
In the fifth game, Kings Park had a 16-11 lead before the Warriors scored five straight to tie the match. Kings Park had a 24-21 advantage and three match points, which Wantagh fought away. After taking a 25-24 lead, Wantagh middle hitter Lauren Pennino's kill tied it at 25.
The Warriors had match point chances at 26-25 and 27-26 but could not convert, as Kings Park's front row stuffed multiple kill attempts. Trailing 28-27, Wantagh's final shot landed just long, as the Kingsmen's celebration spilled over into the hallway. "We were calm through the entire thing, and we played with all our hearts," Corcoran said.
