Simi Familusi sparks Glenn to Long Island Class B girls volleyball title
Glenn's Simi Familusi defends against a spike attempt during the Long Island Class B championship against Lynbrook at SUNY Old Westbury on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. Credit: James Escher
When she was a ninth-grader, Simi Familusi made her varsity volleyball debut during Glenn's playoff run.
"That was absolutely terrifying," Familusi said.
Daunted as a freshman, three years at the varsity level have matured Familusi into one of the most feared hitters. Now a senior, Familusi's eight kills against Lynbrook sparked Glenn in its 25-16, 25-10, 25-22 Long Island Class B title win Sunday at SUNY Old Westbury.
Glenn advanced to the state championships on Saturday in Glens Falls.
"She's the heart and soul of this team," Glenn coach Kevin Harrington said.
Both teams had trouble finding a rhythm early. Despite his team's nine-point win in the first game, Harrington said it wasn't until the end of the opener that Glenn found its composure offensively.
"I thought it was almost the end of Game 1 before we remotely ran an offense," he said. "We weren't really clicking early."
But the Knights (17-5) improved as the game progressed, a microcosm for their entire season. Harrington thought his squad was one of the three or four best teams in Class B coming into the season, but after a 2-2 start, there was a lot of work to be done.
"We knew there was going to be some challenges along the way, and there were. But we overcame them," junior Grace Cergol said.
Glenn graduated six seniors from last year's team, leaving a gaping void on its roster.
"It was a pretty big loss," Familusi said. "We knew that there was a lot of work to do, and we worked hard. And now we're here because of it."
The Knights fell behind 2-0 in Game 2, but an emphatic kill by Familusi tied the score. From there, Alexis Groark had seven straight service points. A few points later, Cergol also converted seven consecutive service points.
"That's what you have to do," Harrington said. "You serve them tough so they can't get the ball to their big hitters."
Lynbrook (18-2) showed its resolve in Game 3 and evened the score at 21, but kills by Julia Molano and Familusi, aces by Groark and Madisyn Hausch, and a couple of key digs by Camryn Ackley gave Glenn the edge.
"Every week, these girls have gotten better," Harrington said. "From match to match, they're improving, which is great. Perfect timing."
