Christian Giordano, Liam Mischler lift Ward Melville boys volleyball past Patchogue-Medford

The Ward Melville boys volleyball team is just two years removed from winning a second straight Long Island Division I title and reaching the state final.

Christian Giordano and Liam Mischler are up for the challenge of bringing the Patriots back to the top.

Giordano had 21 kills and two blocks and Mischler had 18 kills, two aces and a block to lead host Ward Melville to a 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-25, 15-8 win over Patchogue-Medford in Suffolk I on Tuesday.

When the Patriots were at their best a few years ago, it was behind the powerful hitting of two-time Newsday All-Long Island first teamer Kyle Fagan, who now plays at Penn State.

“It’s definitely a luxury to have two dominant hitters,” coach Brian O’Shaughnessy said. “I thought this was the best Christian’s played so far this season, especially swinging out of the back row. Liam was really steady. When all the attention goes to them, it opens up our middle.”

“It’s just great to know that even if you’re not playing great, you have someone else to lean on,” said Gordon, a senior. “If I’m having a bad game, I know Liam will pick me up and vice versa. And when we’re both on and we support each other, there’s not really a cap to what we can do.”

After coming out flat in the fourth set, the Patriots fired on all cylinders in the fifth. Giordano had two early kills to help establish a 5-1 lead. Mischler’s second kill of the set gave Ward Melville an 11-7 lead.

Ryan Gogarty had 11 kills, AJ Salducco had 10 kills, three aces and a block and Dominick Nuzzo had eight kills and two blocks for Patchogue-Medford (3-3).

Mischler’s older brother, Shaun, served as the Patriots’ second option behind Fagan during their Long Island title runs. The 6-6 junior had a front row look at what it took to become the top program in the county.

“I just want to carry on my brother’s legacy,” Mischler said. “We know that have the potential to go to states, we just have to show everyone in the county that we have it in us.”

Troy Rodriguez had four kills and two blocks, Guna Gayam had two blocks and two kills and Gennaro Agnese added two kills and a block for Ward Melville (6-0).

“Our saying is, ‘What do you want your season to be?’” O’Shaughnessy said. “We know we’re talented. I don’t know where we stand compared to some of the teams we’ve had in the last five years, but I think we can be in that conversation. Those kids were a lot more proven. This group still has a lot to prove and they’re hungry to do so.”