Greeley Seniors Built Foundation in Run to State Quarters

November 18, 2024 Examiner Media volleyball

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By Tony Pinciaro

horace greeley quakers vollyeball — 2024 Horace Greeley Quakers had a sensational season cut short in Saturday’s 4-set NYSPHSAA Class AA regional quarterfinal loss to Section 11’s Half Hollow Hills West at Yorktown High.

Hope Suh and her fellow seniors have had quite a meteoric rise with the HORACE GREELEY varsity volleyball team. In her freshman year, Suh and the team won three matches. That would be the last time the Quakers would finish with a sub-.500 record during Suh’s career.

Suh, along with classmates Chloe Snyder and Ace Tillotson, were instrumental in leading the Quakers to Section 1 elite.

Greeley junior outside hitter Jaida Cekic went for 20 kills and six digs in Quakers’ 4-set NYSPHSAA regional quarterfinal loss to Section 11’s Half Hollow Hills West Saturday at Yorktown High.

In 2022, Horace Greeley would play for a sectional title. Even though the Quakers lost that day, they would return to win the Section 1 Class AA title in 2023 and repeated this year.

Half Hollow Hills West (Section 11) overcame the Quakers in a tough four-setter – 25-23, 25-27, 31-29, 25-22 – in a regional final at Yorktown High School.

Despite the loss, it does not take away from the success the Quakers have had these last three years.

“Being a part of this program since freshman year has really given me a unique perspective on how much we’ve grown,” Suh said. “I think a major shift occurred in the mindset of the players once we started winning consistently during our sophomore year. It set the tone for the years that followed.

“Finishing as runner up in ‘22 gave us a boost of confidence that reassured us that we were capable of competing at higher levels. We were determined to take it one step further and claim the sectional title the following year.”

The Quakers came into 2024 as the circled team on their opponents’ schedule. Following a season-opening five-set loss to Darien (Conn.), the Quakers won 17 consecutive matches. During this winning streak the Quakers only lost three sets.

Horace Greeley finished the regular season with a 17-1 record and the No.1 seed in sectionals. The Quakers continued their dominance, sweeping Carmel, Harrison and Yorktown before dispatching Brewster in four sets. Brewster had upset the No.2 and 3 seeds to reach the final.

Greeley senior Hope Suh and her teammates have raised the bar for future Quakers after reaching NYS regional quarterfinals in 2024.

Suh and Horace Greely Coach Daniela Casto both agree the team played well against Half Hollow Hills West. However, the Section 11 champion played a little better.

“I think it was an incredibly tight match and it could have gone either way, but I think HHHW’s consistency in key moments made the difference,” Suh said. “There were some crucial points we couldn’t capitalize on, and in tight matches like these, those points are so important. For example, the final point of the third set was a pivotal turning point.”

Castro has witnessed the rebirth of Greeley volleyball through Suh, Snyder, Tillotson and classmates Claire Fallon, Rebecca Humphries and Penelope Orochena. Now, this senior core leaves with two sectional titles and a knowledge the program will continue to excel.

“Chloe, Ace and Hope saw the progress and growth of the program through the building years,” Castro said. “Claire has been a part of the program, as well, because her older sister, Elizabeth, was on the team so she’s been along for the ride. Rebecca and Penelope jumped on and really grasped the culture of the program and have been all in since the moment they made the JV teams.

“The senior group is exceptional, talent and drive-wise. They have great camaraderie, character and just have fun being together. This senior class holds the standard for all the years to come.”

Winning one sectional championship was great, repeating made it all the more special for Suh and her fellow seniors.

Greeley’s Claire Fallon left it all on the floor with 38 assists, 16 digs, two aces in Quakers’ 4-set loss in NYSPHSAA Class AA regional quarterfinals Saturday at Yorktown High.

“This specific sectional title felt particularly special because we were coming from winning the sectional title the year prior,” Suh said. “That created an expectation and added pressure to repeat that same success.

“As a senior this sectional title carried extra meaning for myself and my other teammates knowing that this was our last chance to win a sectional title together.”

In doing so, the Quakers left it all on the floor.