Fine start for Lady Bulldogs

The Hewlett Lady Bulldogs extended their season-opening win streak on the volleyball court to three matches Sept. 14 with a straight sets victory (25-6, 25-4, 25-14) over Valley Stream South.

Junior setter Vanessa Collins led the Lady Bulldogs with seven aces in the second set, and added a match-high 14 assists. “She was serving really well,” Hewlett coach Marie Cesario said, referring to Collins’ relentless pace in the second stanza. “We run a 5-1 offense, so she is our main setter. It’s a very tough position to play, but she does it really well. She gets to every second ball, finds her way to the net and puts the ball where we need it to go.”

Hewlett’s middle hitters were also clicking on all cylinders, as senior captain Lacey Jaffe and sophomore Samantha DiSalvo tallied seven kills apiece. “That was definitely huge for us,” Cesario said. “Lacey had a great game at the net. She comes out in the back row, but she does a great job at the middle front position as well. As a senior, she has a ton of experience and she’s very clutch. As for DiSalvo, she’s basically our go-to middle hitter. She has great court sense.”

With Collins taking charge of the offense, the Lady Bulldogs opened up a 12-5 lead in the first set. Later in the opening stanza, they rattled off 11 straight points to open up a 23-5 advantage. Senior setter Julie Miller set the tone of the match early for Hewlett, as she notched two aces in the opening frame.

After Hewlett’s lopsided 25-4 win in the second game, coach Cesario rested Jaffe for much of the third stanza in a great show of sportsmanship. With the Lady Bulldogs’ top hitter on the bench, Valley Stream South made the third set closer than the rest. The Lady Falcons would come as a close as 20-14, but the comeback effort was too little, too late.

Despite the loss, VSS coach Stephanie Calzetta said her team can take away some positives, specifically the effort put forth by senior outside hitter Sarah Santos. “She is my absolute star,” Calzetta said. “She gives it her all every time and she can really do everything. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but hopefully we can turn it around in the second half of the season.”

Hewlett travels to Lynbrook Thursday for a 6 p.m. match against the tough Conference A-2 rival Lady Owls, and hits the road again Saturday morning for an 11:30 a.m. start at Great Neck South.

“We’re looking forward to continued success,” Cesario said. “We’re seeded first in our conference. We want to end up in first. We look forward to testing ourselves against some tough competition as the season progresses.”