Half Hollow Hills West's Veronica Pelis propels girls volleyball team to second straight Suffolk Class A crown
Half Hollow Hills West is thrilled after repeating as Suffolk Class A girls volleyball champions on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Credit: David Meisenholder
Half Hollow Hills West came into the season needing to replace the production of arguably two of its most important players. Veronica Pelis and the Colts knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they had more than enough talent to defend their crown.
Pelis had 13 digs and four aces to lead the top-seeded Colts to a 25-23, 25-17, 25-22 victory over No. 3 Islip in the Suffolk Class A girls volleyball final on Friday night at Newfield.
“We knew coming in that we had lost some great players, but it wasn’t just them on the team, it was us too,” Pelis said. “We knew we had a good group ready to step into bigger roles. I can confidently say that I know we are the hardest-working team on Long Island.”
Ella Corso had nine digs, nine kills and two aces and Emily Dantona had five kills and three blocks. Morgan Wolcott had 10 digs, seven kills and two aces. Autumn Fichtelberg had 14 assists and Lex Ferguson had 10 in the Colts' second straight county title win.
“We’re in that gym every day and we have a standard that we want to maintain,” Dantona said. “We leave it all on the court. It’s just the mentality we have.”
Cali Addeo had nine kills and a block and Jane Tierney had six kills and an ace for Islip. Riley Haynes and Jami Sullivan each had two aces.
The Colts held an 8-1 lead in the first set after Corso’s kill. Islip trimmed the deficit to 18-16 after Addeo’s kill and Haynes' ace. Hills West took a 23-20 lead after Gabby Williams’ kill and Pelis’ ace. Islip staved off two set points but committed a service error to end the set.
“We just remind ourselves that nothing else matters except what’s happening on our side of the court,” Pelis said. “We just have to be who we are and keep playing our game.”
The Colts grabbed a 10-point advantage in the second after Wolcott’s kill and Dantona’s block. Corso earned kills for two of the final three points of the second.
Islip (13-4) held its first lead of the match in the third at 7-6 after Gracie Ferrara’s block and held a 12-10 lead after Addeo’s kill. Hills West responded with a 4-0 run to take the lead for good.
Hills West (16-1) will face South Side or Plainedge at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the Long Island Class A championship at Hauppauge.
“We’ve had so many girls step into bigger roles and do a fantastic job,” Hills West coach Nils Haugen said. “We get a chance to practice again and play again. They want this to go on as long as possible.”
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.
