Lady Cyclones add to win streak

With five straight conference wins and a pair of tournament titles in a 17-day span, South Side deserves mention among contenders for the Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball crown.

Two days after winning the eight-team Mineola Tournament, the Lady Cyclones stayed hot last Monday with a 25-15, 25-19, 25-9 sweep of visiting Garden City. Junior Emma Paris dished out 20 assists and sophomore Kayla Principato had 10 kills to lead an offense running on all cylinders since back-to-back losses to defending county champion Wantagh and runner-up Kennedy to open the year.

“We have quite a talented and deep team,” South Side coach Cheryl Scalice said. “We returned 13 girls and came into the season with high hopes. Losing to Wantagh and Kennedy to start out made them want to work even harder.”

The Lady Cyclones (5-2 in Conference A-I) defeated Kennedy in the finals of last Saturday’s Mineola Tournament, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14, behind MVP Allison Glass. The junior outside hitter, who averages double digits in kills, had 35 in the daylong event to go with 18 digs, 10 blocks and seven aces. Paris added 49 assists and 14 kills, and Principato had 27 kills.

“We’re a much improved and more confident team than what Kennedy saw in early September,” Scalice said. “What was especially nice about the Mineola Tournament is we were missing some starters and everyone contributed.

“I don’t hesitate to call on anyone,” she added. “They all make plays.”

As the wins mount, the confidence level grows, Scalice said. She said a five-set victory over Roslyn on Sept. 20 got the momentum rolling. South Side lost the first and fourth sets but outlasted the Lady Bulldogs 25-20 in the fifth. Senior Grace Healey, a returning All-County middle hitter, had 10 kills, and junior defensive specialist Deanna Mostowfi had six of her 11 digs in the final set.

“We’ve got a cohesive group,” Scalice said. “We’re looking forward to seeing Kennedy and Wantagh again. They’re going to see a different team, that’s for sure.”