The 2022 Varsity Girl’s Volleyball team has brought home the Gold with a 3-2 win over the number 1 seeded Kellenberg on Nov. 5th. Volleyball is not an easy sport and with 14 players on the court at one time you cannot predict what the ball is going to do. After 8 years and only 7 full seasons due to Covid, the FRIARS finally did it.
The Fiars last held the CHSAA Trophy in 2014 with a win over Kellenberg, advancing to the CHSSA state championships to face St. Mary’s Lancaster. Since then, this strong team has finished (2017-current) 81-15-2 including this season. When you have an overall winning record that strong it goes to show that this league is not one to fall asleep on when it comes to volleyball. The Friar program led by Head Coach Donna Newman in her 31st year has been doing an outstanding job. Newman owns 13 league championships and 4 state titles as the Friar Head Coach, and this season would be one of the most dynamic.
In the past 8 seasons, Kellenberg has seen the top of the podium 5 times and was the defending league champions, so going five games to defeat them will be something this 2022 squad would not forget. CHSAA 2022 Player of the Year Katie Bardak said, “When I walked onto the court for our first opening game for the season this year I was very excited to play with our new group of very talented players. I was thinking about all of the hard work we have put into the preseason and how it’s going to pay off in the long run. I was already so proud and happy to be a part of a team with these girls and I knew it was going to be a very fun season.”
Game time was set for 6:00 PM and you could feel the excitement as the stands filled up, the music was pumping and girls were cheering non stop with excited energy.
With a young team consisting of 8 veterans and 6 newcomers making varsity for the first time you might have some concerns about the experience on a night like this. Game one opened and the Frias jumped out ahead showing one reason why there were 11-2 entering the Championship game and there was no question about the experience of any player on the floor. Game one was a success for SA 25-23 and emotions got turned up a notch on both sides.
Game 2 opened and the Friars felt the sting of a strong KM team fighting to show their dominance as they took this game 25-21. The Kellenberg crowd showed its excitement with no embarrassment but the Friars did not back down. SA had the opening serve for game 3 and go up 3-0 right at the start, Kellenberg comes right back and the 2 teams are tied at 7, the lead continues to exchange and now the game is tied at 15, tied at 16, lead continues to exchange until they find themselves tied at 22. The skill level could not be defined in this fast-paced game with big outside hitters and smart serves and heroic digs that both teams displayed, to keep themselves alive. This was volleyball at a level where fans could not contain themselves and each side out was a moment for each team to flex. Twenty-six points later the Friars stood tall winning game three and now the match stood at 2-1 St. Anthony’s.
Game four Kellenberg flex with no answer from us going on a 9 point run at the beginning of game. We caught up with our own 5 point run only for the Firebirds to go on a seven point stretch showing that they were number one in our league for a good reason. They tied the series 2-2 with a dominant 25-17 set.
In volleyball, you have to win 3 sets and each game you have to win by 2 points. Now everything is on the line in game five where they only play to 15. Leaving each player with a sense of urgency to score a point.
Firebirds serve 1-0, Friars serve 1-1, FB 3-1, SA 4-3, FB 6-4, SA 7-6, FB 7-7, SA 8-8, FB 9-9, SA 10-10, the emotions on and off the court by all, created a feeling of “we just can’t breathe” said a fan and the score was showing 14-14 and someone has to win by 2. Regardless of the outcome tears will be shed on both sides because of the phenomenal level of play to stay alive. The Friars go up 15-14. Finally, St. Anthony’s erupt as they see the ball get touched on the way to being out of bounds FRIARS WIN!!! 16-14.
A victory described by senior Jillian Lopez who served the winning point… “So originally the up official, I believe, called the ball out and we would have lost the point. But then the down official called it as a touch on the other team meaning they touched it before it landed out. So then seeing the ref switch it to us and us winning the whole game I was in total shock at first to be honest. I mean, we have lost to Kellenberg I think 3 or 4 times in our regular season so we all knew it would be very hard to come out with a win but not impossible. It took a team effect to win that game everyone had a role to play from the bench to the court we all won that game by being and playing as one team. I felt like we did what no one thought we could. Kellenberg for sure thought they would win, but we came out stronger and as one unit to take them on. That was by far the best feeling ever.”
I asked the head coach Donna Newman: If there was one thing you would have changed about this varsity season what would it be? Her response: “It would be not having one of my starters go down the first week of practice witdh an ankle injury and only getting her back for the last week of the season.”
Team success allowed for Friar’s individual success when Powers was named the CHSAA Player of the Year and Bardak was CHSAA Player of the Game. Seniors Powers, Lopez, Nicole Distefano,and junior Bardak earned All Long Island honors for 2022. The Friars will only graduate 5 players this year making 2023 just as promising. Remaining on top of the podium is not easy in this league, so the team will enjoy this victory every minute they can. CONGRATULATIONS FRIARS!
Anna Rzymski is a freshman at St. Anthony’s, this is her first year with friar Scoreboard. She plans on joining the winter track team or the winter cheer team.
