Top seed Massapequa sweeps Plainview JFK to win 16th straight girls volleyball crown
Massapequa celebrates winning the Nassau Class AA girls volleyball final at SUNY-Old Westbury on Nov. 10, 2015. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Just call Jamie Smith the closer.
The Massapequa girls volleyball setter played the role twice, notably clinching the third set with a hard-hit ball that deflected off a defender and onto the floor, and again to take the second set.
Smith had two aces, 13 kills and nine assists, as the top-seeded Chiefs beat No. 2 Plainview JFK in straight sets Tuesday at SUNY Old Westbury to claim their 16th straight Nassau Class AA championship.
"It's one of the best feelings in the world," Smith said. "No matter what point it is, my entire team, I'm just super proud of them for all we've been able to accomplish. But we're still not done yet. We have to work as hard as we can for the next game."
Massapequa (18-0) had to work plenty hard during the second and third sets.
Plainview JFK (14-3) went on a 6-0 run early in the third set to take an 8-1 lead behind strong play by Maria Coniglio.
The Chiefs trailed 10-2, but Smith and Kole Pollock led a rally to make it 12-9. Massapequa tied the set at 18 and again at 25, then took a lead setting up Smith for the 27-25 win.
"Bouncing back, losing by eight points, it shows grit, the size of our fight and I can't ask for anything more than that," Massapequa coach CarolAnn Habeeb said. "They're willing to fight for everything and that's our philosophy, you've got to fight for every point. It says a lot about their character and I'm proud of them for being able to adjust and adapt."
Coniglio was a standout during the second set, too, where she often made athletic diving touches to extend the volley, but Massapequa matched her intensity. The teams traded scores, but Gabriella Azzariti and Smith had late points to seal the 26-24 set.
It was a much different pace than the first set, which Massapequa won, 25-16. The Chiefs pressured offensively, finding gaps and powering through block attempts, and took a 9-3 lead. Plainview JFK found a rhythm midway through the set, but couldn't overcome the large deficit.
"It's just a surreal feeling," Pollock said. "You'd think coming back here every year you'd get used to it, but you really don't. You work hard for this moment and it's really overpowering once you finally get that championship under your belt."
