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Haldane Spikes Defending Mass. Champs and John Jay
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Haldane's Michelle Cottenec lays down a kill with Avery Zuvich (23) and Rachel Flaherty looking on in Blue veils sweep of John Jay Monday. |
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No matter how you sliced it, both teams were going to be tested Monday when reigning Section 1 Class D volleyball champion Haldane visited Class A power John Jay. Haldane would get the test it sorely needed after proceeding through its Class C schedule like a plow truck in a snow storm. And John Jay, on the other hand, would be tested by some of the finest volleyball players and athletes in Section 1.
Haldane passed the test with flying colors, sweeping three sets from John Jay with relative ease, while 2006 Class A sectional runner-up John Jay was forced to admit that 2007 might be a rebuilding campaign for a perennial powerhouse.
Haldane, fresh off its win over two-time defending Class III Massachusetts champion, Frontier Regional, came out inspired and improved its record to 14-0. Among the 14 wins was a two-set sweep over defending Class A NYS champion Hen Hud, so the Indians (9-5) knew what they were in for if they weren't at their best, having lost to the Sailors in the 2006 sectional title game.
"These girls are good, dude… a very, very athletic team," John Jay assistant Coach Chuck Scozzafava said. "They look like the best team in the section regardless of classification. They're that good… very good."
For sure, dude, for sure. The Blue Devils have not lost a set this season, racing out to a 42-0 set record and a certain No.1 seed in the upcoming Class D playoffs. John Jay had won six of the last seven matches coming in… something had to give. The first match was clean and well contested, with the Blue Devils pulling away down the stretch for a 25-19 win. The final two sets were won by Haldane by a 25-17 score. All-Section hitters Megan Lyons (10 kills) and Caitlin McConville (8 kills) and Jen Lombardo (7 kills) were too much at the net, taking sets from Rachel Flaherty (29 assists) and delivering facials.
Courtney McKoan (6 kills) and Jess Koren (4 kills) did what they could at the net to keep the Indians in each match, but they had met theirs against a deep, skillful Blue Devil team, which can safely bank on a trip north to Glens Falls for the State Championships.
Christen Lazrcheck had 12 digs for the Indians, matching Danielle Etta of the Blue Devils.
In perhaps their best played match of the season, the Blue Devils surprised even themselves with the ease in which they handled Frontier Regional, which suffered its first loss of the season in a 25-11, 25-17, 25-17 sweep at the Volleyball Hall of Fame Showcase event. Lombardo paced all hitters with 11 kills, hitting a choice .500 for the match. It might have been the absolute A-game Lombardo can play, something Blue Devils will need if they meet two-time defending state champion Randolph in the state finals for a thirdstraight year.
McConville added 10 kills and Lyons had in a match where Flaherty excelled with her best showing of the season. She served up 33 assists. McConville was voted outstanding player of the match and the game ball goes went to Flaherty for her stand out performance, according to Coach Joel Stanford.
The team is very focused and working hard," the first-year Haldane boss said. "They played their best match of the season at the Volleyball Hall of Fame Showcase of Champions. Frontier didn't lose a single senior from last year's state championship team. Their coach summed it up when he told me after the match that our team never lets up; they serve tough, they play great defense and our offense was the fastest they'd ever played against."
Stanford states that the girls have done a great job of staying focused and setting goals for each match along the way, not looking too far ahead.
"Even in lopsided matches, we're working on hitting goals that aren't generally score related that challenge our team," Stanford said. "While we know that Lyons, McConville, and Lombardo are going to generate the lion's share of our points, our middles, all underclassmen, have been the focus of a large part of our practices and it's beginning to show. We've had two consecutive team high's in kills from the middle position in the match against Frontier and tonight against John Jay. The best thing might be that the girls have really come together as a very cohesive unit that is having fun while they work hard at improving every single day."
Each day is one step closer to hopping a bus for Glens Falls. Bon voyage, dudes!
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