WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Playing in a sectional title match is big enough, but the stakes ratchet up when going for the title against a neighboring school. Add that the two teams had already played twice, with each taking a win, and you have all the ingredients for a high-intensity final.
That was the case for No. 3 Yorktown when it defeated rival No. 5 Mahopac 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 25-14) at the Westchester County Center in White Plains in the Section 1 Class AA championship match on Nov. 8.
“It meant a lot to our team, especially to us seniors, because it’s been a goal of ours since last season,” said Yorktown senior captain Mia Riordan.
The win gave the Huskers their first sectional crown since 2013, when, as the No. 1 seed, they defeated No. 2 John Jay-Cross River (25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 26-24) for the Section 1 Class A championship at Hendrick Hudson High School, finishing 19-2 and as a regional finalist under coach Katy Sherwood.
“Winning the first championship since 2013 means everything,” said Yorktown senior captain Natalia Lyon. “We’ve worked so hard all season, and to finally bring the title home was such a special and unforgettable moment for all of us.”
Challenging matches throughout the regular season put the Huskers in position to excel in the playoffs.
“We talked about these losses; they were the building blocks that laid the foundation to get to the sectional finals, and then we achieved the sectional final slot and had the drive and composure to get the win,” said Yorktown coach Gigi Kemp.
Kailey Alexander ignited Yorktown (14-7) to a first-set victory.
“Kailey started us off in the first set with a big kill, which was able to get all of our energy moving, and our defense was on point, which enabled us to put the ball away,” said Mia Riordan (26 assists, 1 ace, 3 digs, 1 kill).
Alexander (17 kills, 8 blocks, 1 assist), Lyon (15 digs, 12 kills, 1 block, 3 aces, 1 assist), and Emma McCoy (2 digs, 10 kills, 4 blocks) did the job up front for the Huskers.
“Emma, Kailey, and I were able to do so well because of how aggressive we were—we wanted every point—and also because the high energy and everyone cheering definitely helped us with the momentum of the game,” Lyon said.
Mahopac, though, bounced back to win the second set before Yorktown responded to take the next two sets and capture the crown.
“After losing the second set we realized we didn’t play to our full potential and made sure that we were able to get it back and play as a team,” Mia Riordan said.
Kaitlyn Riordan (5 digs), Mia Horn (3 digs, 1 ace), Jordyn Drap (3 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace), Nina Fasce (12 digs, 15 assists), Haley Allen (7 digs, 1 ace, 6 assists), Ella Chibbaro (1 kill, 1 block), Olivia Brackett (4 digs, 3 kills, 1 block), Julia Amado (senior captain, 3 digs, 6 kills, 2 blocks), Isabella Schaeffer, Hailey Riordan, Lucy Von Lahndorff, Julia Scavello, and Sunnie Killeen (assistant coach, Kemp’s sister) were also part of the Huskers’ sectional championship roster.
“It meant the world to the team to get the championship,” Kemp said. “All of the daily hard work has paid off. They understand the learning process of losses turning into championships.”
Huskers beat Ursuline
Yorktown won its semifinal match 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-21) at No. 2 Ursuline on Nov. 5.
“This win meant a lot to the team, as it showed how much we’ve grown as a team and how all our hard work this season paid off,” Lyon said.
Mia Riordan said the semifinal victory demonstrated how the team came together.
“I knew I could believe in my teammates to push through for the win because this whole season we have grown so much together,” she said. “To know we are going to the County Center feels so rewarding after all our hard work and dedication.”
Lyon said the Huskers were able to win in three sets because they stayed focused from start to finish and never let up.
“We had an amazing blocking and hitting day, and we played with confidence and kept our energy high the entire match,” she said.
The Huskers were able to beat the Koalas because they stayed controlled and focused, thinking about smart ball placement one point at a time, according to Mia Riordan.
McCoy, Alexander, and Lyon excelled up front.
“Emma (12 kills, 2 blocks), Kailey (6 kills, 7 blocks), and I (6 kills, 3 blocks) played very well because of the energy and the communication the team had,” Lyon said. “We trusted one another to make plays at the net, and our setters provided us with good opportunities.”
Leading the team in assists versus the Koalas were Fasce (13 assists) and Mia Riordan (11 assists).
“Nina and I wanted to leave it all on the court because this game could have gone either way,” Mia Riordan said. “We knew we had to put our all into this game, and we did.”
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