Newcomers has a 4-2 league record after winning just one game combined the last two seasons. (Damion Reid)
The last two years were a struggle for Newcomers. The Lions girls volleyball team won just one game combined in 2008 and 2009. Part of that was the girls soccer season moving to the fall and many of the tiny school’s female athletes playing that instead of volleyball.
“There were some big rebuilding seasons,” coach Kert Fernandez said. “Girls soccer hurt. Last year, a lot of the girls who are on the court right now, it was their first year. Inexperience was just there and you could tell by the way they played.”
There has been a significant turnaround now. Newcomers is 4-2 in PSAL Queens A7, good enough for a three-way tie for first with Long Island City and Info Tech. On Sunday, the Lions, which came in ranked No. 10 in the PSAL by The Post, advanced to the finals of the Seward Park tournament, beating Secondary School of Law, Journalism and Research in the semifinals before falling to Goldstein, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, in the finals.
“They became little gym rats and played as much as they could wherever they could – Central Park, during lunch,” Fernandez said. “If they could get a volleyball in their hand, they were playing.”
Sophomore outside hitter Magda Golonko hd 17 kills in the championship match against Goldstein and senior outside hitter Ana Peralta had 10 kills and was named to the all-tournament team. Senior setter Mariana Silva added 30 assists.
“Overall, I think my girls played well, had some little ups and downs that cost them some very important points,” Fernandez said. “I think emotions got the best of them at points.”
Seward all-tournament selections: Goldstein senior setter Chrissy McKeever was named tourney most valuable player and Dolphins sophomore outside hitter Kristen Herchenroder earned all-tournament team honors. SSLJR’s Dayna Scurry, Aviation’s Maryducle Quintanilla, Seward Park’s Yin Fang Weng, Bayside’s Kiara Anderson, George Washington’s Dulce Aybar and Peralta of Newcomers were named to the all-tournament team.
Lewis finishes fifth at prestigious tourney: Playing without senior middle hitter Alexandra Persaud (knee), the only girl who played in last year’s tournament, Francis Lewis qualified for the championship bracket and made the quarterfinals of the upstate Horseheads tournament Saturday, losing to eventual champion John Glenn (LI).
Jessica Chung had 82 assists and 21 digs, Paulina Jobczyk had 47 kills, 45 digs and six aces and Ragina Anthony had 32 kills, 48 digs and eight aces for Lewis, ranked No. 1 team in the city by The Post. Nathalie Cabrera had 40 digs, Lisa Camargo had 14 kills and 12 blocks, Anibela Kolenovic had four blocks and Stacy Paickattu had five aces and 16 digs.
In pool play, Lewis fell to Glenn and Horseheads, but beat Clarence. On the second day, the Patriots split with Baldwinsville, Warwick and Corning before falling to Glenn in the quarters. Glenn beat Baldwinsville in the championship.
“It was a great tournament,” Lewis coach Arnie Rosenbaum said. “The girls learned a lot watching the Eden-Glenn semifinals and playing against Horseheads and Baldwinsville.”