Maybe it should have been renamed Sophomore Day.
Archbishop Molloy sent off its eight seniors with a 25-18, 25-18, 15-25, 25-18 win against rival Mary Louis in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I girls volleyball Tuesday. But it was the 10th graders who stole the show.
Sophomore outside hitter Madeline Casello had 17 kills, libero Jenna Hoffman was relentless on defense with 10 digs and setter Anna Pastina added 16 assists in a match that clinched critical third place for the Stanners (6-4). Even 6-foot middle hitter Dallas Pralle, who is more known for her basketball skills, had four blocks.
“Once I leave, I can’t wait to come back and watch their games,” senior captain Ariella Levine said.
The seniors did their part, too, of course. Katie Mulvihill had 12 kills, Levine had six kills and eight digs and Samantha Lynch added 20 assists. Before the match, there was a ceremony honoring them and afterward the junior varsity players and underclassmen put on a skit poking fun at them.
“They are the absolute spirit of the team right now,” Hoffman said. “Next year, it’s going to be a completely new team.”
It was almost a completely different result Tuesday. Mary Louis (4-6) stormed back to win the third set in impressive fashion and, despite being down 19-9, got within 20-18 in the fourth set before Hoffman’s 4-0 service run put it away. Levine, the team captain, fittingly had three kills during that stretch.
“When you have a day like today when you have eight people that mean so much to this team leaving, that fall is going to come,” Molloy assistant coach Rose Ruesing said. “It’s like a sugar rush. That fall is going to come and I think that fall started to hit in the third set.”
It turned out positive for the Stanners. Head coach Steve Leoutsakos was able to be on the bench after being red carded last week against St. Francis Prep and Molloy locked up the all-important third seed in next week’s Brooklyn/Queens playoffs. That means it will avoid Prep, the three-time defending champion, until at least the finals.
“I think if we go out with adrenaline and team spirit and play as a team, I think we can [win],” Levine said.
And the future is clearly bright. Casello has emerged as one of the biggest hitters in the league and Hoffman has made a seamless transition to libero after starting at setter last year as a freshman. She played libero with the Creole club team in the offseason and the 5-footer has really taken to it.
“It was a really big change at first, but now I love it,” Hoffman said. “I like starting the play. And being a setter last year, I know how they like the passes. I feel like that’s a really big advantage to me.”
Stephanie Taibe had 10 kills, Gabby Mostarac had four kills and three blocks and Brianna Harris added three kills for Mary Louis, which finishes in fourth place. The Hilltoppers can still make the CHSAA Class AA state playoffs if they reach the semifinals or finals of the Brooklyn/Queens playoffs.
Molloy is content with where it is – for now and beyond.
“There’s a good future with them,” Ruesing said. “We’re going to have a nice core going into next year.”