No. 1 Connetquot tops No. 2 Ward Melville to win Suffolk Class AA title
Connetquot celebrates their victory over Ward Melville in straight sets after the Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball final at Suffolk CC on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
The name may have changed, from the "Fresh Five" to the "Soph Seven." But the title remains the same: county champion.
A strong freshman class for Connetquot last year turned into a stronger (and bigger) sophomore class this season.
That core, led by a strong defensive performance by Mackenzie Cole, helped top-seeded Connetquot capture a second straight county championship with a dominant 27-25, 25-18, 25-20 win over No. 2 Ward Melville in the Suffolk Class AA county final Thursday night at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.
"We stayed humble and hungry the entire match and it paid off," said Cole, who had 28 digs. "Everything we went through to get to this point was totally worth it."
The Thunderbirds overcame an 8-2 deficit in the third set to take a 16-15 lead after Katie Von Kampen's block landed just inside the line. Mackenzie Taylor's kill off a one-handed dig by Cole opened a 20-17 advantage. A kill by Cassandra Patsos and an ace by Taylor gave Connetquot a second straight title.
"When we play like a team, no one can stop us," said Von Kampen, who had 11 kills and six blocks.
Taylor helped build an 11-4 lead in the first set after four straight aces. Ward Melville took a 25-24 lead before Nicole Migliozzi set up Von Kampen for the kill to even the score. A kill by Patsos sealed a 27-25 win in the first set.
Connetquot won the second set, 25-18, highlighted by one of Migliozzi's three blocks to open an 11-5 advantage.
"We stayed composed and whenever we were down we knew we had it," said Taylor, who had eight kills and 11 digs.
Alex Stein had 13 kills for Ward Melville (18-1).
Connetquot (19-0) advances to play unbeaten Massapequa (19-0) in the Long Island championship at 5 p.m. Saturday at Suffolk-CC.
"The entire season, no matter what the score was, these kids played like they were willing to run through a wall," Connetquot coach Justin Hertz said. "They deserve everything they have achieved."
Like the title "county champion."
