By Jennifer Marino
At South Side's Nassau County championship match against Wantagh on Nov. 7, Julia Wolchok, mother of Cyclones team member Kristin, handed out signs that were handmade by her kindergarten class, with phrases like "Keep on Winning" and drawings of stick figures ready to spike the ball. Members of the Hewlett volleyball team, which South Side defeated in the semifinals, were also on hand to cheer.
South Side won the match by taking three straight games, 25-20, 25-20 and 25-17. They also captured the Long Island championship against Half Hollow Hills West in three games, 25-15, 25-23 and 25-12. The team has a 19-0 record for the season.
South Side had to fight for the second game against Half Hollow. The Cyclones were down 18-12, but a kill by Ashley Marco ended a Half Hollow rally and South Side turned the game around. In the last game the younger players took the court and the pleased seniors watched them finish off the match.
Katelyn Killigrew, a senior, said the team is looking forward to the state championships, and she expects to have a good time no matter what happens. Killigrew had 13 kills in the county championship game against Wantagh.
The girls head to the state championships in Cortland on Thursday, Nov. 14. As one of four qualifying teams, they'll begin pool play on Friday, facing each of the other teams in two 25-point games. The two teams with the best records will move on to the finals on Saturday for a regular, best-of-five match.
The team will stick to the game plan that has helped it win matches all season, according to Killigrew. She is hopeful, noting that South Side has already played against some of the teams in other tournaments.
"It's like a dream," said junior Kristin Wolchok, noting that she doesn't think it will all sink in until they're on the bus on their way home from Cortland.
The girls prove there is no "I" in team. "We work together well. We work hard," said Wolchok.
For senior Killigrew, the victories are a little bittersweet, since each one is a step closer to the end. "It's a nice way to go out," she said, adding that the five seniors will probably continue playing in college.
