Midwood was totally prepared. The Hornets knew exactly what was coming. But stopping Francis Lewis is easier said than done.
“The defense just didn’t get off to a good start,” coach Thomasina Lenzi said. “We didn’t respond in the first [set].”
No. 5 Midwood had a hard time ending service runs by No. 1 Francis Lewis in a 25-9, 25-13 loss Friday night in the PSAL Class A semifinals at Hunter College. Patriots senior Alicja Pawelec had a crucial, 5-0 service run in the first set and she and fellow senior Jillian Escobar combined for 14 service points in the second set.
“You can’t be five points down to a team like that,” Lenzi said. “You have to be nose to nose.”
Midwood did catch fire late in the second set. Junior Pei Ling Chen had a 4-0 service run she started herself with two aces to get within 22-13. But Francis Lewis senior Dominika Mrozowska had a service ace and Patriots senior Chereese Sheen dropped a big block to close it out.
“They didn’t go away,” Lenzi said. “We struggled, but we didn’t give up.”
It was hardly a lost season for the Hornets. They made the semifinals and out of the second round for the first time since 2002. Midwood was a mainstay deep in the playoffs prior to that and the program seems to be on the upswing again. Middle hitter Shannon Appel is just a junior and she should be one of the best at her position in the PSAL next year.
Lenzi credited the current group of seniors – setter Anna Aleksandrovskaya, middle Sam Edelstein, middle Jackie Handy and outsides Traci Kent and Migdalia Lewis – with getting the Hornets over the hump. They all shined at different moments, whether it was Aleksandrovskaya playing while ill in the quarters or Handy making an incredible save in the second round.
“These seniors left a legacy here,” Lenzi said. “We broke the hex.”