Sunday, December 8, 2024
Wantagh entered the Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball championship stage riding a 10-match win streak dating back to an Oct. 7 five-set victory over South Side, which captured its first seven matches and eight more since.
So something had to give with the county title on the line Monday as the top two seeds went to battle before a jam-packed crowd at East Meadow High School.
However, the matchup didn’t live up to the hype and unlike both regular-season meetings failed to go the full five sets.
Seniors Cate Cammalleri (18 kills) and Abby Magness (13) and junior Amy Berenbroick (37 assists) led No. 1 South Side to a convincing 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 victory over No. 2 Wantagh. It’s the Cyclones’ first county crown since 2019.
“We’re typically not the most emotional team and just take things point by point,” Magness said. “Today we had about four pre-game speeches and they really pumped us up. We came out with so much energy and never let up. I think that’s what made the difference.”
The Cyclones’ largest deficit in any set was two points when Wantagh senior star Sadie Reich and sophomore Kylie Hoffman recorded back-to-back kills early in the third set for a 4-2 Warriors lead.
“This was one of the most well-rounded and complete matches I’ve ever seen,” South Side coach Steve Mariano said. “The girls picked a heck of a time to play their best match of the season. I’m so proud of them. They really wanted it so bad and played out of their minds.”
Coached by Dan O’Sheal, Wantagh (14-4), which was seeking its first county title since 2021, eliminated the Cyclones from the 2023 playoffs in the semifinals in four sets. The Warriors swept Plainedge and defending county champion Mineola on the way to getting back to the finals.
“They knocked us out last year and it gave us extra motivation,” said Cammalleri, who had six kills and two blocks in the title-clinching set. “We just clicked today and kept them from taking our momentum away.”
South Side (16-1), which knocked off Elmont and Seaford en route to the finals, built a 9-4 lead in the opening set and never looked back. Junior libero Maeve Britt set the defensive tone and sophomore Lena Miller was instrumental at the net throughout the match.
“Lena went from our JV setter last year to a big piece in the middle for varsity this year,” Mariano said of Miller, who had an important block late in the second set to give South Side a 24-19 lead before Cammalleri closed it out.
Juniors Keira Mullaney and Allie Fingleton also provided sparks for the Cyclones, who advanced to battle Sayville in the Long Island Class A championship on Wednesday at Hauppauge High School.
“One of the keys to beating Wantagh was putting service pressure on them so they didn’t get comfortable in their system,” Mariano said. “Everyone served great today and hit their targets.”
