Bronx Science’s Preet Singh had 13 kills. (Denis Gostev)
Jeremy BasSie handed his sports jacket to his wife and assistant coach Danielle and turned to his players on the bench. Then, the Bronx Science coach let loose.
The even-keeled, mild-mannered BasSie yelled, he screamed and he called individuals out. The Wolverines were stunned.
“He’s never done that before – ever,” senior middle hitter Preet Singh said. “But I was happy he did.”
When BasSie called timeout, Science was down six points early in the third set. Afterward, the second-seeded Wolverines reeled off the next three points and gutted out a wild, 25-21, 24-26, 25-21 win over No. 6 Brooklyn Tech in the PSAL boys volleyball semifinals Tuesday at Hunter College in Manhattan.
“I guess it woke us up,” junior setter Jerry Henriquez said.
Henriquez said that Science players were yelling at each other on the court and getting frustrated – something the team, which has great chemistry, didn’t do all season. BasSie nipped that in the bud right away.
“[Danielle] said that I needed to lace into them, that they needed a real yelling at,” BasSie said. “I’m usually pretty stoic, but I pick my spots.”
Singh ended up with 13 kills, including three in the final eight points to close the door for Science (14-0). Henriquez had 30 assists and four kills, Alex Barbulescu added nine kills and Nate Chin finished with six kills. The Wolverines meet top-seeded Academy of American Studies in the championship match 5:30 Thursday back at Hunter. Science will be making its second appearance in the final in three years.
“I can’t even believe we won, to be honest with you,” BasSie said.
That’s because Brooklyn Tech (15-1) was relentless. The Engineers didn’t quit, even down 23-17 in the first set as they climbed to within 24-21 before Henriquez finished it with a dump kill.
BasSie said he felt like Tech carried momentum from that point on, yet somehow his team willed its way to a victory. Science got every big point, stopped runs and went on its own runs when the timing was right.
“I’m proud of everyone,” Singh said. “We all just pulled through.”
It sets up a rematch with Academy of American Studies, the undefeated No. 1 seed. The one time the two teams played this season, in a non-league match, was a two-set sweep by the Eagles. But Bronx Science didn’t have Barbulescu, who was nursing an ankle injury at the time.
He’s been vital throughout the playoffs and arguably the top go-to hitter in the middle or otherwise. Barbulescu had two booming kills late in the third set that helped propel the Wolverines to victory.
“After we lost to them, we went back to practice to fix our game so that we could eventually beat them,” Henriquez said of Academy of American Studies. “Now we’re going to see if that paid off.”
BasSie’s outburst certainly seemed to propel them on Tuesday. Science was down 9-3 at the time and looking at a potential elimination if Brooklyn Tech’s momentum held up. The coach lit into his players with a fury that carried across the packed, raucous gym.
“He had a right to,” Henriquez said.