Lawrence, Lynbrook in contention

Junior libero Nicole Milillo provided more outstanding defense for Lynbrook last Friday in a four-set defeat at Lawrence.

Jeff Wilson/Herald

Senior hitter Natalie Leger, right, had 21 kills and 18 digs in Lawrence's four-set victory over Lynbrook last Friday afternoon.

Jeff Wilson/Herald

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There’s quite a logjam atop the Nassau Conference A-II girls’ volleyball standings, and with a share of first place on the line at Lawrence last Friday afternoon the Lady Golden Tornadoes got 21 kills and 18 digs from senior Natalie Leger and 46 assists from junior setter Andie Baum in a hard-fought 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 victory over Lynbrook.

Leger, a powerful outside hitter averaging 17 kills per match, produced the clinching point on a cross-court smash as Lawrence improved to 6-3 and created a three-way tie with Bethpage and Plainedge in the driver’s seat with five matches to go. The Lady Owls, who were led by junior libero Nicole Milillo’s stellar defense, sit just a win off the pace, along with New Hyde Park, with a record of 5-4.

“It’s a great conference because teams are evenly matched,” Lawrence coach Dave Mayerson said. “The difficult thing is only three of us qualify for the playoffs. Today was important and we got a collective effort. We needed this because Lynbrook beat us the first time.”

The Lady Owls, who won the first meeting at home in four sets Sept. 13, raced to a 7-3 lead in the opening set last Friday and never looked back. Strong serving by senior Sydney Sullivan and hitting provided by juniors Michelle Pender and Caroline Krendel set the tone, and the advantage swelled to 16-11 before Lawrence made a run behind sophomore Genesis Zepeda, who registered 12 kills and 16 digs on the day. But senior Marykate McVeigh scored three straight points for Lynbrook, which closed out the set with a kill by Pender.  

“All year it’s been tough games,” Lynbrook coach Vanessa Jeremenko said. “Anyone can beat anyone, and it’s exhausting when every match goes four or five.”

In the second set, seniors Tiffany Arboleda and Alex Tae’s serving success combined with the efforts of Leger and freshman Kaela Kinder at the net helped the Lady Golden Tornadoes lead from start to finish. They led 11-4, and after the margin was later sliced to 20-18 both Arboleda and Tae served two points apiece to provide breathing room on the way to victory.