Kennedy sees spike in production

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Kennedy has picked up right where it left off on the volleyball court following an appearance in the Nassau County Class A Final Four last fall. The Lady Cougars won six of their first eight matches and sit just one game behind Wantagh heading into the second half of the schedule.

The most recent win, in straight sets over Hewlett on the first day of October (25-21, 25-11, 25-22), featured another in a line of strong performances from senior co-captain Rachel Breslow, a four-year varsity middle hitter. She piled up eight kills and three blocks across the three games. Senior Jessie Jones, another co-captain and veteran, had seven kills and three blocks of her own in the sweep.

“We’re watching a lot of game film and trying to have high energy every game we play,” coach Katie Sheehan said. “We’re ready to take it to the next level and become more versatile.”

The team has already provided some glimpses of taking its game even higher with a straight set victory over Long Beach (25-15, 25-22, 25-18) on Sept. 17. The Lady Marines entered the season seeded No. 2, while Kennedy was No. 4. After the first eight matches, the Lady Cougars are currently sitting in the No. 2 slot. The roster is loaded with seniors — 12 of the 16 players are in their final season — and the leadership has been top notch. “We have four captains and a lot of leadership,” Sheehan said. “Even the girls that are not captains have leadership roles.”

At outside hitter, senior Samantha Simon and junior Casey Fiegeles are the starters with seniors Samantha Berger and Lauren Zwal also in the rotation. In a four-set win over Lawrence (18-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-10) on Sept. 29, Berger had a team-high 12 digs. Senior Amanda Jorquera and a pair of juniors in their first varsity season, Lauren Miskitz and Jillian Goldhirsch — have logged time behind Breslow and Jones in the middle. Senior Sydney Yormack, in her first season as a starter, has provided a strong-armed presence as a right side hitter. In the win over the Lady Tornadoes, she totaled a team-high six kills.

Senior Cora Traviglione, is the top setter and quarterback of the offense who’s piled up as many as 26 assists in a series this season. She’s also a player to lean on, along with Breslow, if the team hits a speed bump on the court. “When they’re on the court, we know we can score points,” Sheehan said. “If things aren’t going well, the younger girls can look to them.”

Travaglione, one of two players to stay in the lineup the entire way through the rotation (along with Simon), is joined at setter by Rachel Katz, the only sophomore on the roster, and senior Jamie Bauman at setter. Senior co-captain Amanda Steinberg is a libero, as is Berger, and on top of staying aggressive has the role of putting the ball in good position for the setters and hitters. Seniors Melissa Gurvitz and Paige Friedman have seen time as defensive specialists.

“Everyone has a role on the team,” Sheehan said, noting how far the team has grown. “And with most girls in at least their second year, if not third or fourth [on varsity], it was nice to come in and work on skills rather than getting to know each other.”