GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y.—The match between Section 1 champion Yorktown and Section 2 champion Columbia on Nov. 15 at Gloversville High School was what a regional final, Class AA, should be—two teams ferociously battling back and forth against one another.
Husker senior captain Natalia Lyon (13 kills, 12 digs, 1 ace) clinched Yorktown’s first ever regional title by jumping up in the air, winding up her right arm, hitting the ball over the net and off a Columbia blocker, which went harmlessly out of bounds for the kill.
“That last play happened because everyone on the team did their job,” Lyon said. “We passed well, our setter (Nina Fasce) trusted me with the ball, and I just focused on staying aggressive. When I swung and was able to tool the block it was the best feeling ever. Getting the kill that clinched the regional title was unreal, and being the one to finish it for my team is something I’ll never forget.”
Yorktown defeats Mahopac for Section 1 AA girls volleyball title
That ignited a wild celebration, with the Huskers on the court jumping up and down with each other, being joined by their teammates on the bench, who immediately sprinted onto the court accompanied by the loud cheers from adoring fans who made the trip upstate.
Lyon’s kill gave Yorktown a 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14) victory and its first ever trip to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships at the Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls.
Pool play will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, with the Huskers’ pool including Section 8 champion Garden City and Section 9 champion Warwick.
If the Huskers survive that, they will move on to the finals at 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, looking for their first state title.
Kaitlyn Riordan (16 digs, 3 aces), Hailey Riordan (1 dig, 2 kills), Lucy Von Lahndorff (1 dig), Mia Riordan (7 digs, 1 ace, 22 assists), Jordyn Drap (4 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 1 assist), Fasce (12 digs, 3 aces, 18 assists), Haley Allen (5 digs, 3 aces, 1 assist), Ella Chibbaro (1 block, 1 ace), Olivia Brackett (4 digs, 6 kills, 3 blocks, 2 assists), Emma McCoy (2 digs, 8 kills, 2 blocks), Julia Amado (2 digs, 1 block, 1 assist), and Kailey Alexander (1 dig, 13 kills, 3 blocks) all contributed to the historic win.
“The excitement and change of routine to go play made it a big event,” said Yorktown coach Gigi Kemp. “The act of earning the win made the whole weekend trip even more memorable, to go along with the history we made.”
Yorktown (16-7) earned its trip to the regional final by defeating Section 9 powerhouse Cornwall 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-23) on Nov. 11.
“It meant a lot to us because we didn’t underestimate them and knew we could do it,” Lyon said.
Leading the Huskers to the win was Lyon (18 digs, 17 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces, 2 assists).
“I was very focused and locked in on the game and wanted this win,” Lyon said. “I felt like a bird hatching from its shell ready to take flight.”
Highlighting the match was Alexander’s (9 kills, 7 blocks) 100th-career block in the second set.
“I was able to block the right side and it was during a pretty long rally too so for me to end the play off with a block felt really good,” said Alexander, a junior who is a second-year varsity player. “It honestly felt so amazing to reach 100 blocks, especially during that game not only because it’s been one of my top goals this season, but also because my friends, family, and past/present coaches were there to see me, so it’s such a memorable accomplishment for me.”
Alexander reaching the 100-block milestone meant a lot to her teammates.
“She has improved so much over the season and off-season, and being able to watch her reach her 100th block meant a lot to me and the team,” Lyon said.
The Huskers won the last three sets to earn the victory.
“After we lost the first set, especially with the score being so close, that kind of flipped a switch within us and made us reflect on how badly we want to win, how we still want our season to continue, and all the time and effort we put into getting this far,” Alexander said. “This allowed us to kind of lock in and just play to the best of our abilities.”
Kaitlyn Riordan (15 digs), Mia Riordan (8 digs, 2 aces, 21 assists), Mia Horn (1 dig), Drap (3 kills, 4 blocks, 1 ace), Fasce (10 digs, 3 aces, 16 assists), Allen (11 digs, 1 assist), Brackett (1 dig, 3 kills, 3 blocks, 1 assist), McCoy (10 digs, 7 kills, 4 blocks), and Amado (2 digs, 5 kills, 2 blocks) produced against Cornwall.
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