Rankels' kills help Plainview stay unbeaten
Plainview's Greg Rankel sets for the block in win over Syosset. (Oct. 19, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
The clash of the unbeaten teams turned out to be more like a party for the victors.
After the first set, the Plainview JFK boys congregated in the huddle and horsed around, giving each other bear-hugs and discussing the merits of the television program, "Cash Cab."
It was that sort of night.
JFK cruised to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-15 victory over visiting Syosset Tuesday in a match of the only two undefeated teams in Nassau Conference I.
Plainview JFK (10-0) must beat visiting Massapequa Thursday to complete an undefeated regular season.
"An undefeated season means nothing to us," senior middle hitter Greg Rankel said. "All we want to do is win a county championship."
Rankel had 17 kills, including seven in the third set.
Added senior Matt Benjamin, who had five kills: "We're not looking for an undefeated season, but we want a great season."
Plainview opened a 16-8 first-set lead as the Braves struggled to handle their deep serves. That allowed JFK to hold serve and never cease control. Those prolonged service games gave Syosset (8-1) little chance.
JFK maintained its dominance in the second set, winning points from every conceivable position. Up 12-8, Zach Feldman's serve scraped the sideline in the Syosset zone. At 14-9, Evan Schwartz nudged a kill with his backhand to an empty patch of hardwood.
"We came out on fire," Rankel said.
Down 5-2 in the third, Syosset went on a five-point run to give them a two-point advantage, but Plainview took the lead at 9-8 and went on a 16-7 run to clinch the match.
On Syosset's end, there were no excuses. "We made some errors, but they were just playing well," senior libero Brett Burian, who led the team with 15 digs, said. "We were doing our best."
Plainview, which has not dropped a set in 10 league matches, seems to gain confidence with each win.
Benjamin credits an improved team chemistry and deep bench rotation for the team's success.
"We were doing what we wanted because, not to sound cocky, we can," Benjamin said.
After mowing down each conference foe with relative ease, who can doubt him?
