Third time not a charm for Lady Cougars

There were few mysteries for No. 2 Kennedy (12-3 overall) and top-seeded Wantagh when they matched up in the championship round of the Nassau County Class A girls’ volleyball playoff tournament at C.W. Post’s Pratt Center on Nov. 10.

Along with playing in the same conference during the regular season, the two teams had also squared off in the previous two county championships with Kennedy winning in 2008.

The Lady Warriors broke the title-round tie in the 2010 rematch, knocking off the Lady Cougars in straight sets (24-26, 17-25, 20-25) and continued its unbeaten season with a five-set win over Bellport in the Long Island Class A championship last Saturday. “All three of our losses were to Wantagh,” Kennedy coach Allen Ma said. “It’s a fierce and competitive, but friendly rivalry. We didn’t lose to just anyone. They are the Long Island Champions.”

Kennedy had an uphill battle from the end of the first game, when Wantagh overcame a 24-21 deficit and scored the game’s final five points. But even after falling behind 6-1 just moments later in the second game, the Lady Cougars still displayed the type of championship mettle that developed on the way to three consecutive appearances in the County finals. Sophomore setter Jamie Demmett dropped a well-placed return in front of the Lady Warriors libero, followed by a kill from sophomore opposite Keri Stalzer that jump-started a five-point run for Kennedy in a match that was deadlocked at 7-7 and later at 13-13. “I really believe that the girls were tough enough to put that aside,” Ma said of the way the first game ended.

Wantagh’s offense proved to be too much in a game-ending 12-4 run during the second game that was keyed by several aces and deflections out of bounds. “We couldn’t get our passes up to the net,” Ma said. “And they also had four hands [blocking] Stephanie [Bauman].”

Bauman, the Lady Cougars three-time All County middle blocker, still managed seven kills in the championship loss despite all of the extra attention at the net. She was also front-and-center in each of Kennedy’s victories on the road to C.W. Post, recording a dozen kills in a straight set win over No. 3 Garden City in the semifinals on Nov. 8, and chipping in with 16 kills to help sweep West Hempstead out in the first round.

“West Hempstead was the defending Class B champions and we knew they had a championship mentality,” Ma said. “We knew it was a tough first-round draw, and Garden City has been a Top 5 program for the last decade.”

Junior middle blocker Heather Hulkower, one of several key players slated to return, had 18 combined kills in two playoff victories. “She’s been a middle starter for two years but she played the back row as well this year,” Ma said. “She’s become a phenomenal all-around player.”