Sports
Long Beach Sweeps East Meadow to Start Playoffs
After winning the battle at the net agains the Jets, the Marines set their sights on Port Washington.
The Long Beach boys' volleyball team started a potential playoff run by sweeping East Meadow 25-13, 15-16 and 25-14 on Thursday night.
"Being the 12 seed against the five, it was tough," East Meadow Coach Joe Parisi said. "I thought if we had controlled our passing a little bit better, we would have had a more positive result."
The match at Long Beach High School was an uphill climb from the outset for the Jets, as they trailed in game one 9-6. East Meadow did a good job of hanging tough and staying competitive, but a big spike by Sal Saatchi gave the Marines a 10-6 lead and put them in rhythm. "We limited our errors," Saatchi said. "We made less than four in every game. That's what you need to do to win."
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As the game progressed, Long Beach continued to win the battle at the net, as they seemed to be outsized by the higher-seeded Marines.
"They are a big team, and this is a good learning experience for the kids," Parisi said.
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After sealing game one, Long Beach scored four straight points to start the second game, but the Jets would not go quietly. East Meadow tied the game 6-6 when Stephen Matos executed at the net, but then the Marines turned their game up a notch. Long Beach scored 12 straight points behind the powerful serve of Bret O'Neil, and once again they pulled away.
"It makes things a lot easier when you can play point for point when you have a lead," Long Beach Coach Bill Gibson said.
The third game had the same theme for the Jets, who fell apart after the game went 4-2 in favor of Long Beach. The Marines scored the next 9 of 11 points, and they were able to play conservative volleyball to secure the win.
"Long Beach is just a tough team," said East Meadow Senior Captain Stephen Matos, who was already looking ahead to next season. "For the future of this team, we need to learn to play more as a team than just six individual guys on a court. That makes a big difference."
Long Beach will take on No. 4 Port Washington on Wednesday. The time of the game has not yet been announced.
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