Wantagh tops B-JFK in five sets to remain unbeaten

For a moment, it looked as if the storybook ending would crumble into a nightmare worthy of a Stephen King novel.

Wantagh's girls volleyball team, on its Senior Day and with an undefeated record to preserve, let a 24-21 lead and three set points slip away to drop the third set and fall behind 2-1 to rival Bellmore JFK.

But there was too much on the line, too much to lose, and Wantagh went on to win the next two sets and win the match, 22-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-16, 25-13.

The win gave the Warriors the regular-season A-I crown and the top seed in the Nassau Class A playoffs,

"We pushed ourselves so hard to come this far," Wantagh setter Nicole Kelly said.

Against JFK, they needed five more sets to get there.

Bellmore JFK (9-2) had taken the Warriors' best shot before. On Oct. 5, Wantagh (11-0) prevailed in five games, the only other time this season that they had been taken the distance. It is safe to say that Wantagh, despite a spotless record, has nearly met its equal.

SEE PHOTOSWantagh 3, Bellmore JFK 2

"We know we can beat them," said JFK's Stephanie Bauman, who had 17 kills. "We just have to piece it together."

It was Bauman who started to piece together the Wantagh puzzle. In the first set, with the score knotted at 20, Bauman notched three consecutive kills to give JFK the momentum.

"We had the jitters during the first game," Kelly said. "We were all excited for Senior Day and were a little nervous because we know they good they are."

The jitters would subside for a bit, as Wantagh dominated the second set before its temporary third-set meltdown.

But the fourth and fifth games were an exercise in efficiency. In allowing a combined 29 points in the final two sets, Wantagh put the final touches on an unblemished regular season.

"At a certain point, it doesn't matter what our record is because we know hard we play," Kelly said. "It's just nice to show everyone else."

Jenny Ilibassi, who had 20 kills, said: "It's an accomplishment, but we knew we were the best. Even if we lost this game, we knew we were going to kick butt in the playoffs."

Losing was not an option, not with coach Katie Lux giving a spirited speech to her charges before the deciding fifth set.

"We just gave everything we had in the last two sets because we knew that was it," Ilibassi said.