NYPost.com girls volleyball beat writer Marc Raimondi breaks down the PSAL Class A quarterfinals, set for Thursday.
SCHEDULE
(All matches 5 p.m. at home sites)
No. 8 Midwood @ No. 1 Stuyvesant
No. 7 Hunter College HS @ No. 2 Cardozo
No. 6 Grover Cleveland @ No. 3 Susan Wagner
No. 5 Bronx Science @ No. 4 Francis Lewis
No. 1 Stuyvesant Vixens
Head coach: Phil Fisher
Record: 11-0
Player to watch: Melissa Chin
No. 8 Midwood Hornets
Head coach: Thomasina Lenzi
Record: 11-1
Player to watch: Elizabet Genis
Outlook: This could be the first time in coach Phil Fisher’s 13 years that Stuyvesant is the odds-on favorite to win the PSAL city title. The Vixens are the most well-rounded team in the league, but can they handle the pressure of being the team to beat? That’s not easy. But Stuy has leaders, like Melissa Chin, who can keep the squad grounded deep in the playoffs – and a win here could get the program deeper than it has been since 2005.
Midwood has been to two straight semifinals, but this is a very young team, led by a pair of sophomores in setter Elizabet Genis and outside hitter Alexandra Gordon. The Hornets will be riding high off an exciting, 25-15, 14-25, 26-24 win over John F. Kennedy in the second round, but will need to grow up quickly against Stuyvesant. Still, coach Thomasina Lenzi has been at this a long time and there’s little doubt her team won’t be prepared and ready to give Stuy all it wants.
No. 2 Cardozo Judges
Head coach: Danny Scarola
Record: 11-0
Player to watch: Ashley Grubler
No. 7 Hunter College HS
Head coach: James Kurfess
Record: 14-0
Player to watch: Gaby Frid
Outlook: Cardozo is the defending champion and was everyone’s favorite to repeat in the preseason before really just one loss to Stuyvesant. The Judges have redeemed themselves since then, though, making the semifinals of the loaded third Francis Lewis tournament. They still have the same core that led them to the trophy last year – outside hitter Ashley Grubler, libero Amy Sung and setter Jessica Lou – and there’s no reason why they can’t be holding the banner again this year.
Of course, that means Cardozo will have to get by a hungry, veteran squad in Hunter. The Headhunters, as coach James Kurfess said before the playoffs, are playing their best volleyball of the season right now, getting contributions up and down their lineup. There are no stars on this team, though setter Gaby Frid has masterfully run the offense, but every single person is important to the effort. Hunter will be an extremely dangerous foe for Cardozo after dominating Brooklyn Tech in the second round.
No. 3 Susan Wagner Falcons
Head coach: Marco Altieri
Record: 14-0
Player to watch: Kristine Ciurcina
No. 6 Cleveland Tigers
Head coach: Anna Dawidowska
Record: 12-0
Player to watch: Carolina Alfonso Reyes
Outlook: A win here and Wagner makes it four straight semifinals – an impressive feat even when you don’t consider that the Falcons have just one player in the same position she was last year (libero Jia Sha). Julia Bogdan has become a go-to hitter on the outside, Kristine Ciurcina has gone from an outside hitter to a top-notch setter and Sha is now one of the best liberos in the PSAL. Players up from the JV, like Karolina Gadja and Anetta Nowak, have been indispensable.
Cleveland has a pretty nice story of its own. Most of the Tigers players began playing organized volleyball last year under now second-year coach Anna Dawidowska. They gained experience last year under the former Division I player and played club in the offseason, leading to one of the best years in Cleveland history. Carolina Alfonso Reyes is one of the best outside hitters in New York City and her supporting cast of Menajda Mezini, Angie Aquino and Jessica Lu are steady.
No. 4 Francis Lewis Patriots
Head coach: Arnie Rosenbaum
Record: 9-3
Player to watch: Ragina Anthony
No. 5 Bronx Science Wolverines
Head coach: Jeremy BasSie
Record: 14-0
Player to watch: Dominique Watt
Outlook: After the worst year in terms of injuries in coach Arnie Rosenbaum’s 15 seasons at the helm, here Lewis is with a chance to make it to the semifinals for the ninth straight time, by far the best current streak. Ragina Anthony, one of the city’s best players, is back in her rhythm and Lisa Camargo has emerged as a reliable outside. The biggest positive have has been the play of Stacy Paickattu, who has filled in at setter for Jessica Chung (knee and ankle injuries).
Bronx Science doesn’t have the pedigree of Lewis, but under coach Jeremy BasSie the Wolverines have become the best team in The Bronx, a mantle long held by John F. Kennedy. This is still a group that might have its best years ahead, especially after losing setter Elissa Shiau midseason due to personal reasons. But Dominique Watt has a power arm and Mary Platt is tall and crafty in the middle. Anna Baron is a steady libero and Nakora Kowal has filled Shiau’s spot well. A semis berth is possible.
