Wantagh nipped by Mineola for crown

A balanced effort from a deep and talented roster brought Wantagh on the brink of the Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball championship Tuesday night, but Mineola fought off two match points in the fourth set and outlasted the Warriors in an epic battle, 12-25, 25-13, 25-27, 27-25, 15-11, before a jam-packed Clark Athletic Center on the campus of SUNY-Old Westbury.

The twin-sister tandem of hitter/blocker Caitlin Kenney and setter Elizabeth Kenney, along with fellow senior hitter Keira McCaffrey, led the top-seeded Mustangs to the title in come-from-behind fashion. Caitlin Kenney (16) and McCaffrey combined for 30 kills.

Wantagh junior standout hitter Sadie Reich led all hitters with 17 kills, adding to her Nassau-leading total which also ranks second on Long Island. She had plenty of support on the big stage, particularly from seniors Jackie Mundy, Casey Kissinger, Lauren Lerch, Amanda Deedy and Sophie Vanikiotis, classmates Skylar Modelli, Kaitlin Dillon and Juliette Azzariti, and freshman Kylie Hoffman.

“We had opportunities to close it out,” Warriors coach Dan O’Shea said. “Mineola made some really big plays when they needed to. Our girls poured everything that had into this and played so well. They trusted each other and our depth showed.”

Mineola, which defeated third-seeded Wantagh twice during the regular season by a combined 6 sets to 3, advanced to face Sayville for the L.I. crown.

The Mustangs never trailed in the decisive fifth set with the title at stake but the Warriors stayed within striking distance the whole way, with Deedy, Hoffman, Vanikiotis and Dillon all producing key points. With the short race to 15 instead of the typical 25 to win a set, Mineola took four of the last five points to win it.

The teams traded blowouts in the first two sets. Wantagh took the opener by 13 thanks in large part to Lerch serving for eight consecutive points to set the tone and Reich blasting kills.

“Sadie has been on varsity for four years already and is one of those special talents that comes around every so often,” O’Shea said of Reich, who in a four-set victory over No. 2 South Side in the semifinals filled the stat sheet with 15 kills, 18 digs and 3 blocks. “She’s just a tremendous all-around player.”

After the first 10 points of the second set were split, Mineola found its first groove of the match and rattled off 20 of the next 28. Libero Maggie Duda’s defense stood out along with Emma Foley’s serving, which included three straight aces.

The third and fourth sets were nothing short of spectacular and at times brought fans on both sides to their feet. Wantagh trailed 24-23 in the third set before rallying with three points from Reich and the clincher from Deedy to put Mineola on the brink.

The Mustangs appeared in cruise control in the fourth, leading 18-10 before the Warriors made a furious push. Kills by Hoffman and Vanikiotis produced match points before Mineola rallied to stay alive.