Joel Sanchez is not a yeller. He doesn’t believe in screaming to get his point across.
But the Preston coach made an exception Sunday. The Panthers lost the first two sets and were on the brink of losing in the CHSAA Archdiocesan girls volleyball match to rival Maria Regina.
“Normally, I’m a quiet coach,” Sanchez said. “I never really show much energy. But I wanted them to explode as players, so I did the same thing. I got loud. I got very into the game. I guess that energy went to them, too.”
It must have. Preston mustered everything it had and pulled off a stirring comeback, 23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-11, win in Throggs Neck for its first Archdiocesan title since 2007. The Panthers (11-3) will now compete in the CHSAA Class A state tournament Saturday at Cardinal Spellman.
“His emotions definitely ignited something within us as a team,” senior setter Loredana Calce said. “Seeing how much he wanted to win this match motivated us to push even harder and throw ourselves to get that ball off the floor.”
Victoria Sorrell had 15 kills and two blocks, Jasmina Dzurlic had 11 kills and 49 digs and Calce had 34 assists for the Panthers. Dzurlic’s tip around a block gave Preston the victory on the final point.
“She was placing the ball where the defense wasn’t,” Sanchez said of Dzurlic. “As opposed to swinging with everything she’s got, she aimed for their pinky and the ball just dropped. She was definitely my go-to girl today.”
Megan Triano had six kills, four aces and four blocks, Angela Fragale had 37 digs and Karen Carlson had 15 digs and four aces. Arlene Figueroa had 14 digs, Danielle Alvarado had five digs and Courtney Lyver added two blocks.
Sanchez said his message was simple in between the second and third sets.
“I reminded them that if we play Preston volleyball the way we’ve been playing all season and the way we’ve been learning, nobody can stop us,” he said. “At this level, that’s all it is.”
The first-year coach took over the program, which has had a proud tradition in CHSAA Bronx/Westchester. Sanchez, who played and coached at Lehman College, thought it might take a few years for the Panthers to be where he wanted them to. But it has only taken three months. Now he plans on beginning a club program in The Bronx for his players and others from the division. Most of Preston’s players are juniors.
“Hopefully we can do it again,” Sanchez said. “We plan on moving forward.”
That begins this week when the Panthers begin preparing to potentially win an ‘A’ state title. It has been a long time since a Bronx squad has done it.
“We never gave up,” Calce said of Sunday’s match. “Although it feels absolutely incredible to win, we are going to work even harder this upcoming week to really show what Preston is at states.”
Maybe Sanchez’s emotional side will come out again in practice.
“He spentso much time working with us that we believe he truly deserved the title of 2011 volleyball champions,” Calce said. “We wanted to give him his first banner at Preston.”