Wantagh holds off South Side

The Wantagh Lady Warriors looked like they were going to make quick work of South Side after taking the first two sets in their much-anticipated Nassau Conference A1 girls’ volleyball matchup last Saturday morning. But the Lady Cyclones refused to go down quietly and continued to stake a claim as a championship contender the rest of the season.

Wantagh stood firm on its home court and bested South Side 25-16, 25-15, 17-25, 26-24 for its fourth victory in five matches. The win gave the Lady Warriors a share of first place in the standings with Manhasset, a half-game ahead of the Lady Cyclones.

Wantagh appeared to be in control of the match after using a 15-6 run to close the second game, but South Side jumped to a shocking 8-0 lead thanks to several unforced errors by the Lady Warriors. Wantagh got as close as three points at 18-15 before South Side thwarted the comeback with two kills by senior outside hitter Stephanie Jackson and another by senior co-captain Allyson Rosenbaum. 

“We came out on fire,” Wantagh coach Dan O’Shea said. “It was great to see them take a next step and take that leadership role and really come together in those first two games, but that third one, I couldn’t figure it out.”

The fourth set proved to be the most thrilling of the match. Wantagh grabbed a 21-19 lead before another kill by Jackson and one by senior Caroline Lanzillotta tied it up. The teams alternated the next six points before the Lady Warriors closed it out on Shannon Hagan’s tap point off a Cyclone pass attempt and a South Side volley that sailed over the end line.

“It took them a little bit long to relax.” South Side coach Cheryl Scalice said. “The third and fourth game, [they were] a ton better. I was happy for that.”

Hagan had 36 assists, seven digs and five kills and Grace Riddle added 11 kills and four blocks for the Lady Warriors. Jackson had three aces, six kills and 17 digs, Lanzillotta added 13 kills and junior libero Caroline LaMacchia recorded 27 digs for the Lady Cyclones. 

Wantagh, which went an astounding 18-1 in 2016 before a heartbreaking five-set loss to Floral Park in the Class A final, is having another strong season despite losing eight graduating seniors and three more juniors that did not return. O’Shea embraced his new “underdog” role.

“Our JV is phenomenal,” he said. “Just moving them forward, they’re always prepared and they’re always ready for that next step and a lot of juniors are taking big steps this year.”

The season started with a revenge win over the Lady Knights on Sept. 2 before outlasting Manhasset in five sets nine days later. They rebounded from a five-set loss at Mineola with a victory against Garden City on Sept. 18 behind strong defense efforts by senior Sarah Corry and junior Julia Pugliese, who had 11 blocks apiece.

“Sarah’s our heart and soul,” said O’Shea. “Sarah’s the communicator and the vocal leader. She’s constantly keeping the girls on point and on task. She’s one of the strongest hitters in our league because that swing from the middle, it’s hard to stop.”

O’Shea is also looking for Riddle, a junior who had 16 kills in the win over Manhasset, to take on a more vocal role on the team.

“Last year, she was a little quiet because she was a sophomore,” he said. “The team was senior-laden. She has really stepped up and has really taken that first outside role. She has a powerful swing, but she has to talk a little bit.”

The schedule will present a challenge the rest of the way with five of the last eight matches on the road, including the last three.