Volleyball

Trial by fire

Fallsburg gains experience against powerful Monticello; Lady Panthers hone fine points for future challenges

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY - It doesn’t matter if the team you play on any given day is purportedly much better than you or the contrary. You have to play the teams that are on your schedule and make every game count, working to improve every facet of your game if you want your season to reflect your best effort.

So, while the volleyball match-up of powerful host Monticello (2-0) against struggling Fallsburg (0-4) on September 11 might seem uninteresting to some, to the players and their coaches it was anything but.

Fallsburg coach Andrea Millas felt that her small team would benefit from seeing the way the game is played at Monticello’s level. Monticello’s starting six features a lot of aces, especially once Lady Panther standout returnees like Erin Robinson or Pollyanna Palhano are serving.

There was also the experience of contending with powerful spikes from outside hitters like Emily Drobysh, Chelsea Reuss and Ke’Ayra Sanders, all of whom return to play for veteran coach Karen Atack, whose team this year plays without graduates Iris Robinson, Katie Crawford, Rose Gray and Lexi Schnitzer.

Atack has plenty of talent left in Robinson, Sanders, Palhano, Drobysh, outside hitter Chelsea Reuss and defenders Alexis Buckles and Samantha Schoonmaker but she now had to blend in the new players to get cohesion and chemistry as the most daunting teams on the schedule loomed, namely Goshen and Cornwall.

New to the varsity roster are a host of juniors, including setter/outside hitter Jordan Kunis, defender Devinne Depuy, setter/outside hitter Colleen Thomas, server Nicole Keesler, setter/outside hitter Jessica Uczarczyk and defender Alpeche Deluca.

Monticello has its fair share of volleyball banners, but to Atack, every game is to be taken with the utmost seriousness and focus. A year ago to the day, Monticello swept Goshen at home. But as Atack knew all along, the team that was peaking at sectionals would be the one most likely to advance. So when the two squads met again last November 1 in the Class A semifinals, it was sixth-seeded Goshen that shocked the Lady Panthers by winning the fifth and deciding game and moving on to play eventual champion Cornwall. On September 17, Monticello defeated Goshen in round one of this year’s frays.

Two years ago, the Lady Panthers were ousted by Rondout Valley. So, Atack knows that, while regular season records like last year’s 13-3 are noteworthy, winning on the big stage takes something more. Seeing service miscues, even in a lopsided match like the one against Fallsburg, shows the seasoned coach and her players how much work remains to be done.

This game against Fallsburg was a good chance for Atack to see which six girls really wanted to step up as she still searches for leadership on the floor. By her standards, it hasn’t yet surfaced.

Fallsburg is anchored by returnee Christine Justiniano, who understands the nuances of the game. Back as well are Dana Maythenyi, Brittany Baldwin-Hunter and Daniela Gonzalez. The Lady Comets lost seven seniors but added Jacki McCloud, Jaimie Stickle and Jen Rose.

In games one and three, Fallsburg had no answers for Monticello’s strength of service and dominance at the net. In game one, the Lady Comets scored the first point with Jen Rose serving, but a devastating spike by Reuss turned the ball back over to Monticello at three-all. Robinson took over the service, and it was aces high. In all, Robinson would tally nine aces, along with 19 points, as the Lady Panthers’ top performer. She was abetted by devastating kills at the net turned in by Drobysh. During Robinson’s reign, the Lady Panthers scored 18 straight points.

Fallsburg got the ball back, but a kill by Sanders reversed it back to the blue and white. Shortly thereafter, the teams changed sides, following Monticello’s 25-6 win.

Atack sent in her second six players in game two, and Fallsburg nearly beat them. Fallsburg got out on top with Baldwin-Hunter serving, while Monticello hit balls into the net and committed service errors but still stayed close. Fallsburg held the lead as the scores rose into the teens.

Atack’s “B” squad consisted of DePuy, Kunis, Keesler, Thomas, Uczarczyk and Deluca. It looked like Fallsburg might pull away, but a pair of aces by Uczarczyk began to reverse the flow as Monticello came back to make it a one-point game at 20-19.

Fallsburg couldn’t close the door, and with Keesler finding her stroke serving, the Lady Panthers roared back and went on to win 27-25.

With starters back in for game three, the polarity switched resoundingly in Monticello’s favor. Play by Drobysh, Robinson, Palhano, Reuss, Sanders and Schoonmaker proved too much for the Lady Comets as Monticello completed the sweep with a 25-6 victory.

Other Monticello top performers were Keesler with five points and three aces and Drobysh with six assists, six kills, three aces and three points.

Fallsburg was led by Gonzalez with three points and three digs, Baldwin-Hunter with three points and two assists and Rose with four points and two digs.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of game photos.