Elmont sets lofty goal of finals

Elmont girls’ volleyball coach Terry Ianniello has a pretty lofty goal for her team this year: Reach the Nassau County Class A finals.
“It’s not just to make the playoffs,” she said. “It’s to win the counties this year. Can we do this? Yes, they can. It would be amazing because they’re just such a nice group of kids and they work hard.”
If the Spartans’ start is any indication, they are in the right direction.
Elmont started 5-1 overall and 4-1 in Nassau Conference II, a more challenging league the team to which the team was promoted.
“That’s where the kids want to be,” Ianniello said. “We expected to be in the thick of it this year. We are and it’s very exciting. The kids were ready for it. The advantage is it prepares you for the postseason. But it’s very intense.”

The Spartans learned how intense on Sept. 20, losing to defending Class A state champion Calhoun, 3-1, but Ianniello looked at loss as a learning experience.
“I knew it was going to be a big challenge,” she said. “They played so clean. You’ve got to play clean against them and we did not play clean. We are very good offensive and defensive team. That was a good game actually, for us. It was a good loss.”
On the other hand, Elmont has enjoyed some good wins this season. They are led by three returning All-County selections and seniors - outside hitters Yamen Imasogie and Megan Ortiz and setter Gabriella Williams, among eight 12th graders.
That trio has been quite influential.
“I have had these kids, most of them since they were in ninth grade,” Ianniello said. “They are so experienced. It’s a wonderful team to coach.”
In the Spartans’ season-opening 3-1 win against Plainview on Sept. 12, Imasogie finished with 14 kills. Williams added 44 assists and senior libero Angel Anderson, the team defensive leader who was the Herricks tournament MVP, collected 18 digs.
Two days later in a 3-0 non-league victory over New Hyde Park, Williams contributed 25 assists. Ortiz and Imasogie collected nine kills apiece.
In a 3-1 victory at Seaford on Sept. 18, Imasogie led the way with 18 kills and Ortiz added 16 kills. Williams recorded 41 assists.
In the Herricks win - the scoreline was 25-18, 23-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-1 - Anderson had 14 digs and four aces and junior middle blocker Osa Ekhator added 12 blocks, double her previous high. 
Ianniello noted junior middle blocker Ariana Patterson added six blocks.
“She performing,” she said. “They’re performing at the highest level. They rising to the occasion. ... They’re all very unselfish.”
Senior Rose Joseph, an All-League player, is a right-sided player. Williams in the quarterback on the court.
“She’s making a lot of decisions on who’s getting the ball,” Ianniello said. “She won’t give it to the same kid. She’ll mix it up. That’s good offensively so that the other team can’t read us as well and never knows where the balls are going.”