Kingston season ends in state semifinals
Reigning Section 9, Class AA champion Tigers go 1-5 in 4-team pool play to miss out on final
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » Kingston High’s best volleyball season in 22 years ended Saturday as the Tigers tied for third place at the state final four.
The Tigers, reaching the final four for the first time since 1995, went 1-5 in Class AA pool play at Cool Insuring Arena — formerly the Glens Falls Civic Center. They were swept 25-7, 25-11 by both Shenendehowa and Connetquot. Kingston closed out the day with a 2521, 19-25 split with Victor.
The Tigers and Victor finished 1-5, while Connetquot and Shenendehowa went 5-1 each and will play for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship 10 a.m. Sunday.
“I think we started out nervous, which I anticipated and I can’t blame them. It’s something very new. New sounds, new courts. You’re playing in the middle of two other teams,” Kingston coach Nicole Molinaro said.
Kingston, which finished the year 16-5 overall, could never get untracked against Shenendehowa. The Tigers could not stop Mary Talty (eight kills) and Nicole Adams (seven kills, five blocks).
Hannah Felt distributed 18 assists for the Plainsmen. Connetquot, which had eight blocks overall, were led by Cassandra Patsos (eight kills).
“I think we came out underestimating them a little bit,” sophomore setter Tori Boulay said about the opening match against Shenendehowa. “I think we all thought they were going to be a little weaker than they were, but they were very, very strong and we weren’t expecting that.
“We couldn’t come back from that, especially with a team like that. Once you’re down, there’s almost no coming back. It was rough,” she said.
The Tigers had 34 unforced errors in those first two matches, including eight on serve and 13 attack. Kingston played better against Connetquot, cutting the errors down from 20 versus Shen to 14, but the T-Birds (who reached the state finals last year) were tough.
“One error leads to the next. It’s hard when we’re losing by five or maybe six points to try to be, ‘Alright, can we come back?,’” Boulay said. “It’s very mental, especially with volleyball. It’s such a mental sport.”
Connetquot went on a 16-2 run in the teams’ first set and scored 12 consecutive points in the second.
“I think the nerves got to us the first match. The second match we came out and played against the team that I predict will be the champions. I think we played wonderful against them,” Molinaro said.
“We tried to prepare for the next game, but Connetquot was a really great team,” Boulay said. “There were a lot of long volleys, too, that were very tiring. To lose a point like that is worse than losing a point very quickly, because you put everything out and you still don’t get the point. It’s hard.”
Connetquot’s sweep clinched a berth in the finals against Shen, which split their pool-play match. That meant that Kingston and Victor were already out of contention of advancing and were playing for third place when the teams took Court 1 for the final match of the Morning Wave.
Tori Ost’s block and one of four aces dealt by Boulay in the match put the Tigers ahead 2-1 — their first lead of the day. It appeared this set was getting away from them as Victor used a 7-0 run to open a 14-5 advantage.
Kingston turned it around, however, going on an 11-2 run. Boulay set up Ost for one kill and Jaid Harrell for two more, then delivered back-to-back aces to tie at 16. The Tigers finally found their rhythm and went on a 6-1 run at the end to win 25-21. Harrell had a kill and an ace and Shannon Bonewit had a pair of kills and a block to win the set.
The teams traded points early in the second set, but Victor capitalized on two Tiger errors, a Lucy Qian block of Ost and an Ally Devitt ace to take an 11-6 lead. Kingston never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
“Just taking a set today was super important,” Molinaro said. “That’s a huge start for us. I think that this is just setting the bar high and hoping that we continue to feed off this type of energy and play like we just did today and the whole entire season.”
Boulay had 29 assists overall in pool play, while Harrell had 22 kills and Bonewit and Ost each had five kills.
“We’re a family and the saddest part is knowing that our seniors won’t be with us next year,” Molinaro said.
“Jaid and Grace (Longendyke) will be a big loss, but I think we’re going to be okay,” Boulay said about the two graduating starting hitters. “There are a few younger girls on jayvee and modified that I think are ready to become back row. We have some defense coming up, so I think we’re going to be okay.”
Kingston won its first Section 9 title in 18 years and won a regional final to make states.
“We weren’t even supposed to make it this far. We were the underdogs. I’m really proud of us, no matter the outcome,” Boulay said. “It was really exciting to go farther than we were predicted to.
“On to next year,” she remarked. “We are still going to be a good team, but it will be very different. I’m excited.”