Lily Sullivan, Brianna Cerullo help Smithtown East girls volleyball bull way to Suffolk crown
Smithtown East after defeating Hauppauge in the Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball championship on Wednesday in Bay Shore. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Lily Sullivan and Smithtown East entered the county final with plans to add another game to their schedule. From the outset, the Bulls made those intentions clear and put together a dominant outing.
No. 3 Smithtown East defeated top-seeded Hauppauge, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-16), in the Suffolk Class AA girls volleyball final on Wednesday night at Bay Shore High School.
“This season with this team meant everything to me,” Sullivan said. “I had my season cut short every year and I told everyone how badly I wanted this. These girls worked for me, and I worked for them. Everyone gave it their all.”
Sullivan had 18 digs and three assists, while her younger sister Skyla had 12 digs and seven kills. Brianna Cerullo had 15 kills and nine digs and Gracyn Catalanotto had six kills and three blocks.
Lindsay Adams had five kills and a block and Katelyn Oliveto had six kills and a block.
The Bulls took a 10-4 lead in the first set after Cerullo’s ace. Hauppauge closed the gap to 14-13 before Smithtown East went on an 8-1 run. Rosemarie Remsen had two aces during the run.
“I think our coaches did so well to prepare us for this type of moment,” Cerullo said. “The way we’ve trained and done workouts makes those long-lasting rallies feel easier to get through. “
Hauppauge took an 8-5 lead in the second set after Katelyn Oliveto’s kill. Catalanotto’s kill tied it at 10 for the Bulls, who went on a 9-3 run. Hauppauge (17-2)saved two set points after kills by Peyton Kulesa and Lindsay Adams, to get within 24-22, but Samantha Keil’s block ended it for Smithtown East.
“We all really bought in this season and supported each other,” Cerullo said. “When you know you can lean on one another, it's helpful.”
Smithtown East (18-2) took a 15-6 lead in the third set after back-to-back kills from Keil and Cerullo. Adams finished off a 7-2 run for Hauppauge as it trailed 17-13. The Bulls scored eight of the next 11 points as Samantha Ingoglia’s kill ended the match.
“This group worked hard every day to be the best, Smithtown East coach George Alamia said. “We’re a young team, but we’ve gained a lot of experience. When the playoffs began, we came through and played our best volleyball.”
Smithtown East will face the Nassau Class AA champion at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Hauppauge High School.
“Some people may be tired after a long season, but we aren’t. We want this to keep going,” Lily Sullivan said. “I want this to go as long as it can.”
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.
