11-4-08 NSCHSAA Final: Holy Trinity 3-0 W

Captains Caitlin Connelly (10) and Megan Fitzpatrick hold the championship plaque.

BY JASON MOLINET

No sooner had St. Anthony’s athletic director Don Buckley handed out the MVP plaque to junior Caitlin Connelly, she turned and walked toward the bench and fell into the arms of coach Donna Newman. Coach and player shared a long embrace as the fans around the St. Dominic gym went wild.

No one was bigger than Connelly as top-seeded St. Anthony’s earned a 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 win over No. 2 Holy Trinity to capture the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship in girls volleyball on Tuesday night. Connelly was a force serving, hitting and on defense. She led the way with 15 kills.

“She is her own worst critic,’’ Newman said. “She wants to be 10 times better. She’s a real leader and a complete player.’’

St. Anthony’s (15-1) advances to the eight-team state CHSAA Class AA girls volleyball tournament at St. Mary’s in upstate Lancaster. Day 1 is pool play. The top two finishers in each bracket advance to Sunday’s semifinals.

Holy Trinity (13-3), the only team to beat the Friars this season, will be in Buffalo as well. The Titans are in the opposite pool, so the teams could meet again in the semifinals or title match on Sunday.

“I would like a chance to see them again,’’ Newman said. The teams met in the 2005 state final.

Everyone was preparing for a war in the league final. When the teams met on Oct. 16, the Titans earned a hard-fought victory in five games. It was the match of the year in the Catholic league.

Not so the third time. The Friars, playing in the final for the sixth straight season, jumped in front 13-6 in the first game and cruised to a 25-15 victory.

But the war was won in the second game. Holy Trinity pressed the Friars throughout. St. Anthony’s saw its lead cut to 22-22 with a block by the Titans’ taller front line. At that point, the entire tenor of the night teetered on the outcome.

The Friars closed out strong. Connelly’s kill made it 24-22. And with Mariel Metailos serving, Holy Trinity returned a long volley for the final point.

The third game was all St. Anthony’s. The Friars roared in front 9-3 and never looked back. As Connelly spiked the ball off a Holy Trinity rival and the ball bounced away for the final point of the match, the crowd on hand rushed the floor.

“This is incredible,’’ said Connelly, who was named tournament MVP on top of being named league MVP.

Metalios, one of three sophomores in the lineup, finished with 49 assists. Caroline Scalamandre had 12 kills. Megan Fitzpatrick recorded 8 kills. And Michele Impellizeri added 10 blocks and 8 kills.

The Friars have won 15 of 17 games since falling to Holy Trinity 19 days ago. Most importantly, St. Anthony’s won its sixth league title since 1991 and second in three years.