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Mostly Cloudy Lady Colts earn share of top spot
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Senior outside hitter Erin Green has played a key role in Calhoun's success on the volleyball court.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
If turnabout is fair play, consider it mission accomplished for the Calhoun girls' volleyball team. The Lady Colts (14-3 overall, 12-2 in Conference III) captured a share of the conference regular-season title with a four-set win over Floral Park (25-22, 16-25, 25-20, 25-22) on Monday, evening the score after the Lady Knights had won the first meeting in straight sets on Oct. 5.
"They just came out fighting," Calhoun first-year coach Heather Glick said of the difference between the first and second meetings with Floral Park. "We couldn't ask for anything better,” she added. “They were more aggressive, much more intense. They just wanted it."
Senior co-captain Christina Strezenec led the way with 12 kills, while senior middle hitter Annie Murphy had 10, though Glick is also quick to credit several others for the point-producing plays last Monday. "The sets were really on by Gina Gallo and Erica Roman," she said. "They were very accurate and Annie and Christina took advantage of it and hit the spots."
Led by strong play at the net, the Lady Colts are gearing up for the opening round of the Nassau Class AA playoffs that kick off Thursday against an opponent that was determined after press time. The winner advances to the quarterfinals to be played on Tuesday.
Strezenec, a member of the varsity team since eighth grade, demonstrated her commitment to the team early in the season by switching from her natural position of outside hitter to middle hitter, allowing the Lady Colts to get even more talent on the court. "At this level you need a good middle hitter to be [a good team]," Glick said. "And we had two senior outside hitters and felt they deserved to be on the court."
Flanking Strezenec at the net, senior outside hitters Erin Green and Katie Berghorn have proven to be a physically strong tandem and contributed greatly on both the offensive and defensive sides of the net. Green had five aces and seven kills against Floral Park. "We're very psychological and physically strong," Glick said. "We can overpower other teams with our hard hitting and our decisions."
Gallo, a senior and one of the Lady Colts most vocal players, and Roman, a junior, have developed into a potent offensive tandem, giving opponents fits because they bring different styles of setting to the court. "They have completely different skills so I feel it balances the team well," Glick said. "The hitters know what each setter does well."
Calhoun's significant depth at libero gives Glick plenty of options, and the player on the court at any given time is often dictated by the game situation at hand. Senior Gabby Long, juniors Genevieve Goodheart and Tara Bugden, along with eighth-grader Lauren Strezenec are all part of the back row rotation. "They all have different strengths and weaknesses and [playing] depends on what we need that day," Glick said.
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