Lady Bruins seek strong finish
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Kalin Russell is the key to Baldwin's offense.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
Coach April Mosca is eager to see how Baldwin stacks up against the competition in Conference I in the second half of the girls’ volleyball season after a roller coaster start.
The Lady Bruins won two of their first six matches, including a four-set victory over defending Nassau Class A champion Bellmore-JFK and played well in spurts in defeats to East Meadow, Massapequa, West Hempstead and Long Beach.
“Every match is a battle and we’ve had our ups and downs,” Mosca said after a 15-25, 19-25, 25-6, 14-25 loss at Long Beach on Oct. 1. “We’re starting to click more,” she added. “We won our tournament last week and boosted our confidence. The goal is to get better every day and to head into the playoffs playing our best.”
Facing a sweep at the hands of Long Beach, the Lady Bruins rolled in the third set behind senior Kalin Russell but ran out of gas in the fourth. “I was hoping our energy would carry over to the fourth set, but we fell behind early by seven points and couldn’t come back,” Mosca said. “Their defense was the difference.”
Russell, a four-year varsity performer, is Baldwin’s biggest difference-maker. She earned All-County honors in 2008 and has the talent to play Division I at the collegiate level. “Kalin has all the tools,” Mosca said. “We moved her to outside hitter and we’re a better offensive and defensive team because of it.”
Six-foot-three junior Ashley Boursiquot is a dominant hitter and big-time blocker up front in the middle. She’s been joined by younger sister Bianca, a 6-2 sophomore who has provided a defensive spark. Senior libero Victoria Garcia, the team’s best passer, has been slowed by an ankle injury but freshman Colleen Walsh stepped up and led the defense in a win over Seaford on Sept. 29 and against Long Beach.
Offensively is where the Lady Bruins figure to present more problems for opponents in the second half. Junior Leanne Zick has been learning the ins and outs of the setter position on the fly and is reaching a comfort zone. Senior right-side hitter Cara McConnachie is the team’s leading server and rarely comes off the court, and senior Samantha Eriksen returned on the outside and starts opposite Russell.
“It’s a very competitive conference and I think there will be some upsets in the second go-round,” Mosca said.
Massapequa, which has won nine straight county Class AA titles, visits Baldwin on Friday at 5 p.m.
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
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