Lily Pfeffer propels Bethpage to a comeback girls volleyball victory
Lily Pfeffer of Bethpage looks to spike past Meaghan Campbell of MacArthur during a Nassau volleyball game on Monday in Levittown. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Bethpage staved off four game points and found itself serving for the second set.
The Golden Eagles were unable to close it out and avoid a two-set deficit, but that late rally gave Lily Pfeffer and Bethpage all the momentum necessary to pull out a victory.
Pfeffer finished with 16 kills, six aces and four blocks as Bethpage defeated host MacArthur, 27-29, 25-27, 25-21, 25-14, 15-4, in Nassau AA-II girls volleyball on Monday afternoon.
“By the end of the second set, it felt like we wanted to win even more,” Pfeffer said. “We felt like momentum was on our side and everybody brought more energy.”
Alexandra Cossaro had 19 kills and Alexa Galletti had 26 assists for Bethpage (10-1). Meaghan Campbell had 13 kills and five blocks for MacArthur (9-2).
MacArthur took a 3-1 lead in the deciding fifth set after two blocks from Campbell. Bethpage ended the set on a 14-1 run, with Cossaro’s kill earning the final point.
“Once we got up in the final set, we just remained calm and rode the momentum,” Cossaro said. “Everyone just continued to play their game, the way they usually do when we win.”
Bethpage held its largest lead of the match after back-to-back kills from Pfeffer gave it a 19-8 advantage in the fourth set. The 6-2 sophomore had eight kills and three aces in the set.
“We got into a nice groove with our setters and made some good connections,” Pfeffer said. “We just kept finding places to put down the ball.”
MacArthur once trailed by six points in the third set but took a 20-19 lead on Athena Alevreas’ kill. The Golden Eagles responded with five of the final six points and Cossaro ended the set with a kill.
The Generals held a 24-20 lead after Alevreas’ kill in the second set. Galleti’s kill started Bethpage’s string of five straight points, while Cossaro’s second ace of the stretch gave Bethpage a 25-24 advantage. MacArthur scored the next three, getting back-to-back kills from Campbell to seal the set.
The first set featured 11 ties as each team saved two match points. Cossaro earned back-to-back kills to put the Golden Eagles ahead 25-24, but Ava Ramos and Campbell responded with kills to give MacArthur a 26-25 lead.
“We went up against an excellent team and we knew it was going to be a battle that could go either way,” Anne DiPrima, Bethpage's coach of 55 years and Long Island's all-time wins leader, said. “We were a bit off early, but we came back strong on offense and everyone believed in themselves to get the job done."
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
