After Rini and Lynbrook sophomore Morgan Smithwick traded kills to open the fourth set, Seaford ran off six straight points on Russell’s service turn to take a 7-1 lead and it never looked back. “It feels really good, we worked all season for this,” Russell said. “I feel so comfortable playing with anyone we have on the court. We have a lot of great hitters. So does Lynbrook, and when they won the second game it woke us up.”

The Lady Owls advanced to the final with a hard-fought semifinal victory at Mineola. Jeremenko, a Mineola graduate, said the five-set marathon was a “fight to the finish” and there wasn’t a seat to be found in the packed Mineola gym. “The match was up and down so many times,” she said. “It was an exciting win.”