Wheatley girls volleyball's Serena Sun shines as Wildcats rally for LI crown
Wheatley’s Georgiana Almiroudis holds up the trophy after her team wins the Long Island Class B championship at Hauppauge High School on Wednesday. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
As Serena Sun’s final attack bounced off a defender, half the crowd watched in anticipation while the other looked in despair. As the ball hit the court, Wheatley proved it could come through in the pressure moments to win its first Long Island championship.
Sun had 13 kills as Wheatley defeated Bayport-Blue Point, 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 25-18, 19-25, 15-13), in the Long Island Class B girls volleyball final on Wednesday night at Hauppauge.
“We needed this victory. No Wheatley team had ever gotten past this point,” Sun said. “I was trying not to think when I went up. I just swung at the ball and hoped for the best.”
Sun’s kill and two errors gave Wheatley an 8-4 lead. Bayport-Blue Point responded with a 3-0 run as Lexi Hager had two aces. Abigail Eichner’s kill put Wheatley ahead 11-8, but the Phantoms went on a 3-1 run, getting kills from Caitlin Moller and Zoey Butler.
The Phantoms tied the set after Moller’s kill and Morgan McKillop’s ace. Wheatley got a kill from Georgiana Almiroudis and a spike from Sun that was bumped into the air and dropped in front of the net.
“I was nervous coming in, I couldn’t eat the whole day,” Sun said. “I was stressing myself out over how bad I wanted this."
Wheatley held a 12-8 advantage after a kill and block from Emma Barnett. Bayport-Blue Point went on a 7-1 run, with three straight kills from Moller and one from Shayleigh Robson. Moller had two aces to extend the Phantoms’ lead to 23-15.
“There was a lot of energy in the room,” Almiroudis said. “You have a big student section going at you. But we realized if we play up to our capabilities, it doesn’t matter who’s in front of us.”
Moller’s kill put the Phantoms ahead 14-13 in the third. Wheatley scored the next five, with Madeline George’s ace providing it an 18-14 lead. Sun had a kill and an ace to extend the lead and Almiroudis closed it out with an ace.
Kills from Almiroudis and Sun put Wheatley ahead 17-16 in the second. Eichner’s kill gave the Wildcats a set point and Barnett’s kill tied the match.
Bayport-Blue Point (13-3) held a 14-7 advantage in the first after Olivia Colombo’s ace. Wheatley cut the deficit to 22-19 on Eichner’s kill. The Phantoms scored the final three points as Colombo’s third ace of the set ended it.
Wheatley (18-2) will face Putnam Valley (Section I) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in the state Regional final at John Jay Cross River.
“After two county championship losses the past two years, it just shows the heart we have to get to this point,” Almiroudis said. “This is the furthest Wheatley has advanced in the postseason, but we want to go all the way.”
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.
