Tyler Anderson, Bellmore JFK win D-II boys volleyball crown
Bellmore JFK players hoist their championship plaque after defeating Jericho for the Nassau Class B boys volleyball championship at Farmingdale State College on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Tyler Anderson and Bellmore JFK have gone back-to-back.
“This is an amazing feeling,” said Anderson, who had 40 kills and 11 digs as Bellmore JFK took down Eastport-South Manor in a Long Island Division II boys volleyball championship thriller, 25-18, 24-26, 25-17, 23-25, 16-14, at Suffolk CCC-Brentwood on Saturday. “I absolutely love it. It was so close and those are the matches I love. You just don’t know what’s going to happen and you come back. It’s amazing.”
The victory made it two consecutive Long Island titles for the Cougars (18-1). Bellmore JFK advanced to the state tournament next Saturday in Albany.
Anderson propelled Bellmore JFK to a quick 8-3 lead in the decisive fifth game with five kills. The Cougars extended the lead to 10-5, but ESM stormed back and eventually reached match point at 14-13, prompting a Bellmore JFK timeout.
Anderson’s final kill put Bellmore JFK ahead 15-4 after the ball sailed out of bounds to tie the score. Another shot that landed out of bounds secured the title for the Cougars.
“This was insane,” Tyler Jarzabek, who added 13 kills and nine digs in the win, said. “We couldn’t have asked for a crazier match.”
Anderson discussed how his team was able to maintain their composure when Bellmore JFK reached match point. “We just kept our focus, always going for big hits,” Anderson said. “That’s our mentality, go big.”
“To be able to call timeout down 14-13, talk about executing and then do it, that’s a special group,” Bellmore JFK coach Dennis Ringel said.
With Bellmore JFK leading 15-7 in the fourth game and on the verge of seizing the title, the Sharks scored seven consecutive points to cut the deficit to one and mount a comeback. ESM proceeded to take a 22-21 lead and scored three of the next three of the next five points to force the fifth game.
ESM (8-9) took a frenetic second game 26-24 after Bellmore JFK won the opener. Anderson’s kill knotted the score at 24 and Adam Burk responded with a kill of his own to give the Sharks a one-point lead. ESM then came away with the winning point after the ball fell out of bounds.
After coming up with the high-stakes victory, Anderson said he has no doubt in his team’s capabilities moving forward.
“I 100 percent think this team has what it takes to win it all,” Anderson said. “After seeing what we could do today I have full confidence that we can win at states.”
