Volleyball Notebook: Haldane Nets NYS Runner-up Plaque at Glens Falls; Valiant Panas Swept at NYS Volleyball Final 4
Haldane
Section 6 champion Ellicottville proved to be a little bit more than 10-time defending Section 1 Class D champion Haldane High could handle in Sunday’s NYSPHSAA Class D volleyball championship where the former defending NYS champion Lady Blue Devils were bounded, 25-23, 26-24, 25-12, at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
After two extremely close, back-and-forth matches, the final set was all Ellicottville. Haldane laid it all on the line in the second game but despite having game-point against the Eagles, couldn’t close it out.
The Blue Devils, who did not match up at the net with the high-flying Eagles and junior MVP Courtney Scanlan throughout the weekend, did receive some consolation prizes to go with the NYS runner-up plaque, including a first team All-NYS nod to Tulane-bound Lauren Etta and super soph Kelly Vahos, in addition to the team sportsmanship award, which was shared by Blue Devils Sara Chirico, Melissa Tringali, Maya Curto, Katie Cunningham, Michelle Miller, Claudia Percacciolo, Gabby Carnabuci, Nicole Etta, Becky Garrison, Kelly Vahos, Lauren Etta, Shauna Ricketts, Brooke Vahos, Coach Rossano, Coach Ashley “Murph” Anderson and Coach Nicole Turner.
Making their third consecutive appearance in the state final, these girls stayed true to Haldane’s commitment: To be the best small school in Section 1 at all costs. Haldane coach Melissa Rossano told reporters that the second game was the pivotal game; for when it was done, and the Blue Devils (15-7 during the season) were down 2-0, they had simply run out of gas.
Walter Panas
A betting man or woman wouldn’t bet against Walter Panas High repeating as Section 1 champions and advancing back to the 2013 NYS Class A Volleyball Final 4 after this junior-laden unit was eliminated from state title contention in Saturday’s semifinal setback at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Sutherland swept Panas, 25-17, 25-15; as did Kings Park, 25-9, 25-15, and Burnt Hills, 25-19, 25-16. The close-knit Lady Panthers, who put forth the finest campaign in school history, saw what it takes and vowed a return to the Falls in 2013 in an effort to retrieve the school’s first state title in any sport. Panthers Allie Patriciello, Victoria Fletcher, Shaina Campbell, Katelyn Roche, Brigitte Burcescu, Floriana Rraci, Christal Hutton, Rebecca Kendra, Ciara Clauss, Danielle Maurer, Julia Fields, Lauren Perri, Amanda Ragusa and Pam Heitman-Garcia took the program where it hadn’t gone before, and Coach Joe Felipe will settle for that.
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
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