Four of the best girls volleyball teams in the PSAL, and a few others in the mix, competed Sunday at the first big tournament of the season at Seward Park in Manhattan. Here are some of my thoughts from the event:
— It’s already well known that Freddie Rodriguez is one of the best commissioners in the PSAL. League director Donald Douglas told me he feels that way himself last year. But Rodriguez took things to the next level Sunday. Instead of spending time with his father, who is in the hospital, he spent almost the entire day at the Seward Park tournament.
His explanation? He needed to see those teams and how they responded against top competition. Rodriguez is exactly what most commissioners should strive to be. We hope his dad has a speedy recovery.
— Midwood is absolutely an elite team in the PSAL. The way they’re playing right now, the Hornets could beat any team in the league. Last year’s run to the semifinals might just end up being an appetizer to bigger and better things in 2010. They were able to win the Seward title despite losing key starter Pei Ling Chen (knee) in pool play. If not for a collapse against Brooklyn Tech in one set, Midwood might have swept through the entire tournament.
Senior middle hitter Shannon Appel was the event’s most valuable player and it was well deserved. She has become one of the most powerful hitters in the city. A Division II school could use a player like her.
— While Midwood solidified itself among the league’s top teams, Brooklyn Tech might have been the biggest story of the day. The Engineers lost two Post All-City players in Margaret Kwateng and Karolina Kowalska to graduation and this could easily have been a down year for coach Rosanne D’Augusta’s club. Instead, it seems to be the opposite.
Just about every main girl for Brooklyn Tech played club in the offseason and everyone has gotten better, especially middle hitters Colette Littell and Amy Ye. Elizabeth Barshay has earned the role of setter in a 5-1 nicely. The Engineers dropped a set early to Seward Park in pool play, but rebounded by making the finals, where they lost to Midwood. Tech also took that set from Midwood earlier. This could be a promising year.
— Silver-maned Stuyvesant coach Phil Fisher joked after his team swept John F. Kennedy in pool play that the last time that happened he had black hair. At that point, it seemed like the Vixens were ready to roll to at least the finals, but Brooklyn Tech upended them in the semis. It’s just a short-term setback for Stuy, which has just two seniors. This is a team that will only get better as the season goes on. Fisher is looking for star junior outside hitter Melissa Chin to be more of a leader.
— Kennedy will be back. The Knights had a disappointing showing Sunday, getting swept by Stuyvesant in pool play and falling to Midwood in the semifinals. The tournament performance dropped them from No. 5 to No. 7 in The Post’s PSAL rankings. But this isn’t the end of the K-Squad. If there’s one thing about coach Iris Bromfield it’s that her teams get better as the season goes on. If Mel-Lisa Saunders continues hitting like she did Sunday, Kennedy will be there in the end as usual.
— Seconday School of Law, Journalism and Research had a solid showing despite losing setter Veroneque Ignace to an ankle injury. Middle hitter Dayna Scurry is strong for coach Mike Salak’s club, which still has a chance to get better.
— Grover Cleveland has a bright future under first-year coach Anna Dawidowska, who played at Christ the King and St. Francis College. I’m not sure how the Tigers are 0-3 in PSAL Queens A7, especially after taking a set from Stuyvesant at Seward. Junior outside hitter Carolina Alfonso Reyes could help lead the squad back to prominence. She’s extremely athletic, long and has good instincts.
— Hunter College HS might not be what it was, but the Headhunters have some solid players and are heading in the right direction under coach and Hunter alum James Kurfess.
— Seward Park coach Sonia Colon runs one of the best tournaments in the city and her second one of the season will be Oct. 17. This coming weekend, Salak will host a tournament at SSLJR. It’s just the start of what should be a very interesting PSAL girls volleyball season.
