Cardozo could’ve gone in two directions in the postseason.
The Judges could have carried their midseason issues with them, their lack of confidence and negative thinking. They could have let the burden of defending the title get to them.
Ashley Grubler wouldn’t let that happen.
The senior outside hitter not only led Cardozo on the court during a playoff run that was capped Monday night with a 25-17, 25-13 win over Francis Lewis in the PSAL Class A city championship match at Hunter College. Grubler’s attitude was paramount to the Judges pulling off the repeat.
“The past couple of games, she took away all the negativity,” Cardozo senior libero Amy Sung said. “She’s not as hard on herself or anyone. I feel like that just changes the atmosphere on the court. Even if we make a mistake, we just shake it off and go on to the next one.”
Grubler had 19 kills and 16 digs in the semifinals against Wagner and 13 more kills in the final against Francis Lewis. Beating the latter opponent was significant for Cardozo, especially Grubler. She lost to the Patriots as a sophomore in the championship match and the Judges lost to Lewis in 2007 when her sister, Mallory, was the team’s star.
“It kind of just ends my whole high school career the way it should end,” Grubler said. … “My whole four years, Lewis was always on top. Not anymore, because Cardozo is on top.”
Before the playoffs, coach Danny Scarola sat down with the star and the two had a long talk. Pressure was mounting for Cardozo and Grubler, who is harder on herself than anyone. That attitude was bringing her and her teammates down along with her.
“Ashley has turned it around,” Scarola said. “She knows she had to take on more of a vocal role and I knew she had it in her. It’s great to watch high school kids finally realize they had it in them and they all of a sudden take it upon themselves to do that.”
In the last three years, Grubler has led Cardozo to back-to-back-to-back finals appearances and two championships. Her legacy at the Oakland Gardens school is set. The last time the Judges had won a PSAL city title before last year was 29 years prior.
“Ashley, to me, is my role model,” junior outside hitter Adriana Braciak said. “That’s who I try to look up to. She calms me down when I need it and she tells me what I have to do. It’s going to be really hard when she leaves.”