McKee/Staten Island Tech has been through multiple setters and umpteen rotations this season. And just when everything seemed to be coming together, just in time for the playoffs, coach Dave Mahon received some bad news.
Four regulars, including setter Teresa Ng, would be unable to make the PSAL Class A girls volleyball first round Saturday for personal and academic obligations.
Mahon had to come up with yet another new rotation. He installed freshman Shelby Nemec as setter – Tech’s third of the season.
“This week was horrendous,” said senior Kristen Markoe, an outside who was moved to middle. “This whole season we’ve been trying to find a rotation that works.”
No. 8 MSIT struggled against No. 25 Info Tech in a three-set win in the first round, but rebounded nicely to knock off No. 9 Hunter College HS, 25-18, 28-26, in the second round Sunday at York College in Queens.
The Sea Gulls meet top-seeded Francis Lewis, a winner against No. 17 Thomas Edison, in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Hunter College at 5 p.m.
Mahon said he plans to use the same rotation against Lewis, not just because he’s annoyed the four girls missed Saturday’s match, but also because it was pretty effective. He credited Nemec, who has played middle and right side this year, with playing well under fire in the first pressure situation of her high-school career. She had 16 assists and 10 digs.
“I thought she did very well,” Mahon said. “She made some adjustments.”
No one has made more of those than senior Nicole Lennon. She’s a natural defensive specialist, but filled in at setter at the beginning of the season out of necessity. In the new rotation, she’s playing outside hitter because of her athleticism.
“She’s been through the ringer a little bit,” Mahon said.
Markoe had 10 kills and 14 digs, Katie Reshetnyak added 10 kills and Cindy Mei chipped in with five kills for McKee/Staten Island Tech (12-2), which went to the semifinals last year.
Mahon can’t recall a season in which he’s had to use three different setters or as many lineups. The one the Sea Gulls were going to use, with Eng as the setter, seemed to be clicking, though.
“We finally had something and now people are like, ‘I can’t come,’” Markoe said.
Hunter (11-1) also had a topsy-turvy season. The Headhunters lost coach June Piniewski after she got into a dispute with school administrators and athletic director Neil Potter stepped in.
“We didn’t reach all of our goals, but it’s still been a good year,” Potter said. “This senior class was a special group. This was clearly a year we had to make a run.”
MSIT is hoping its run doesn’t end in the quarterfinals. Whether the rotation is working or not, beating Lewis – for any team – is a tall order.
“On Wednesday, I don’t think any instincts I have are going to matter,” Mahon said with a laugh.