Sarah Moyer and Maggie Pennisi with a block for the Bulls. Bill Landon photo
Maggie Pennisi battles at net for Smithtown East. Bill Landon photo
Smithtown East outside hitter Julianna Volante with a kill shot for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Sarah Moyer spikes at net for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Karson Catalanotto digs one out for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Alexandra Arroyo sets the play for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Alexandra Arroyo puts the ball in play for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Bulls score. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Lilly Schwartz from the service line for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Karson Catalanotto from the service line. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Mia Sullivan from the service line. Photo by Bill Landon
Libero Julia Cerullo sets the play for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Karson Catalanotto sets the play for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Alexandra Arroyo keeps the ball in play for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Advantage Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Mia Sullivan sets the play for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Sarah Moyer battles at net for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Libero Julia Cerullo from the service line for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East WINS! Bill Landon photo
By Bill Landon
The Smithtown East girls volleyball squad entered the Class AA finals as the only undefeated team in Suffolk County at 16-0 when they squared off against Eastport-South Manor (12-4) with home court advantage Tuesday, Oct. 31.
The Sharks made it close staying within striking distance, but the Bulls played mistake-free ball and swept the match in three sets 25-23, 25-21, 25-19.
Sarah Moyer and Karson Catalanotto combined for 21 kills, while Mia Sullivan delivered five service aces in the win.
The win propels the Bulls to the championship final Friday, Nov. 3, at Center Moriches High School where they will face No.2 Hauppauge.
Game time is slated for 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at: gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI.
Newfield senior Catarina Pacheco keeps the ball in play. Photo by Bill Landon
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Newfield senior Catarina Pacheco keeps the ball in play. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Ava Finamore with a kill shot. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield’s Gabby Agostino keeps the play alive. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Jayda Feeney blocks the ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Natalia Zdeb attacks at net. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Gabby Agostino digs one out. Photo by Bill Landon
Cameron Gamble spikes the ball for Newfield. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Payton Lundy from the service line. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield’s Kaitlyn Cooney serves the ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Gabby Agostino sets the play. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield’s Karli Scarfogliero sets the play. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Catarina Pacheco puts the ball in play. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Gabby Agostino sets the play. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield’s Karli Scarfogliero digs one out. Photo by Bill Landon
Cameron Gamble from the service line for Newfield. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield freshman Lily Kolasinski from the service line. Photo by Bill Landon
Alex Arroyo from the service line for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Lilly Schwartz puts the ball in play. Photo by Bill Landon
Brianna Cerullo spikes the ball for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Karson Catalanotto from the service line for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Julia Cerullo sets the play. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown East senior Karson Catalanotto attacks with a block. Photo by Bill Landon
Karson Catalanotto attacks at net for the Bulls. Photo by Bill Landon
Brianna Cerullo from the service line for Smithtown East. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
The Bulls of Smithtown East looked to make it four wins in a row when they traveled to Newfield for a League III matchup, where they dominated the first two sets winning 25-14, 25-13 in the Sept. 12 contest. Newfield rallied in the third set, leading by three points late in the match, but the Bulls made fewer mistakes to win by four points for the 3-0 sweep.
The win lifts the Bulls to 4-0, not having lost a set and blanking all of their opponents in the early going while Newfield falls to 1-4.
Both teams retake the court Thursday when Newfield travels to North Babylon with a 6:45 p.m. start and Smithtown East hosts West Babylon at 5 p.m.
Mount Sinai’s girls’ soccer team celebrates its Suffolk County title win. File photo by Desirée Keegan
Success isn’t given, it’s earned, and our North Shore teams this fall have earned it.
Our student-athletes aren’t just building character through lessons of teamwork, or gaining strength and endurance, or learning about winning and losing — they’re leaving legacies.
Port Jefferson’s varsity girls’ soccer team celebrates a second consecutive state championship. Photo from Port Jefferson school district
Some teams may have seen their losses as failures, but we can’t forget the history that was made this season. Centereach’s football team made the postseason for the first time since 2002; Ward Melville’s field hockey faced off in the state finals for the second straight season; and Mount Sinai’s girls’ soccer team made it to the Long Island championship after claiming the program’s first county crown.
Newfield’s soccer team also made big moves this season. The boys played in the county finals for the first time, and the girls, who were part of a developmental league in 2012 — designed for weaker teams to play competitive games without the possibility of postseason play — won 11 games this season and made it to the Suffolk quarterfinals. Smithtown East’s girls’ volleyball team had a near-perfect season. They lost just one game heading into the Suffolk finals. Northport made it back to the girls’ soccer county finals after two seasons, getting over the semifinal hump. And Ward Melville’s football team will be playing in the county finals for the first time in three decades this weekend, after upsetting No. 1-seed and previously undefeated Lindenhurst last week.
And then there was total dominance by teams like the Port Jefferson’s girls’ soccer team, which brought home back-to-back state titles after its third-straight almost perfect season. Kings Park’s girls’ volleyball team cruised to its sixth straight county and Long Island titles, and plays in the state finals this weekend, and Smithtown West’s boys’ volleyball team, which brought home the school’s first county and Long Island titles this year, will also play in the state tournament this weekend.
We have fully enjoyed covering our sports teams this season and are proud of their success. Of course it’s fun to watch and write about victory, but it’s also gratifying to see the student-athletes in our coverage areas working hard to make their communities proud.
We also would like to commend all of the hardworking coaches — who are volunteers, in some cases — for their dedication to bettering our youth. With so many opportunities available for kids to stray down the wrong path, it is a breath of fresh air to see our athletes thrive.
