Cardozo’s Amy Sung receives the ball during practice Wednesday. (Denis Gostev)
Cardozo won the ultimate prize last season, the Judges’ first PSAL girls volleyball city championship in 29 years. After watching rival Francis Lewis win the title the three previous seasons and five times in the last decade, Dozo finally had the monkey off its back.
Almost.
When Cardozo takes the court next week, it’ll be the undisputed defending city champ. But the Judges have still not beaten Lewis since 2006. The Patriots won two tight regular-season meetings last year before falling in the semifinals to Susan Wagner.
“When they lost that semifinals we were pretty shocked and a little relieved, but still very disappointed, because we really wanted to beat them,” libero Amy Sung said.
That, along with defending the title, is a source of motivation this year for Cardozo. And coach Danny Scarola has almost the entire team back for its quest to repeat. Senior outside hitter Ashley Grubler, a New York Post All-City first team selection last year, is arguably the best player in the city and her supporting cast has only matured.
“Everybody is the same or they improved,” said the 6-foot Grubler. “The chemistry is better. Everybody gets along on the court.”
Sung returns and will be one of the top liberos in the league as a senior. Senior setter Jessica Lou is back and so are middles Melissa Medina (5-10) and Jeanette Santiago (5-11), both of whom have club experience. Junior outside hitter Adriana Braciak has improved significantly, sophomore Jessica Yin will see time on the right side and Erica Zilber will be a versatile asset.
“I think we’re getting better at hitting overall,” Lou said. “I don’t have to just go to Ashley. I can go to other people.”
The Judges say it’s a little different feeling now being the defending champions. For so long many of them looked up at nearby Lewis as PSAL royalty. But now Cardozo is the one with the banner and the target on its back. That has caused some admitted early nerves. Scarola doesn’t think that will last.
“You’re the champs,” he said he has told them. “You won a championship. You know how it feels to be there. Go out there and remember how fun it was to get that championship trophy. Remember that feeling. We don’t want anyone to take what we have right now. Be demanding of yourselves.”
The 11th-year coach doesn’t think his team still has a point to prove by beating Francis Lewis, though.
“Absolutely not,” Scarola said. “Because if you say there’s something missing from [winning the title], then you take away from what Wagner did. Wagner beat them. If Wagner beat them, Wagner deserved to be there.”
If Cardozo is to get there again and win it, there’s a good chance it will have to go through Francis Lewis. That point isn’t lost on Grubler.
“There’s definitely unfinished business,” she said. “It’s gonna go down when we see them.”
