Comets Shoot Past Short-handed Colts Volleyball Squad

It's hard enough to win a volleyball game as it is. It's even harder when you are forced to do it without four of your key starters.

With a different starting lineup than they are accustomed to, the Colts used a mixture of reserves and JV players Friday to form a makeshift squad against visiting Hicksville. The lack of depth clearly played a factor as the team went on to drop all three sets.

Despite the loss, Calhoun coach Heather Glick was not a bit discouraged with the effort put forth by her squad.

"I thought we played really well," Glick said. "Especially considering that Hicksville has beaten some tough teams. I played all of the junior varsity guys that we brought up to replace the four starters that we lost, and they all did a good job. I'm excited about the future, and I'm especially excited about the next time we play Hicksville."

Without starters Alex Morra, Jacob Greenberg, Brian Grambo and Kenny Leon, the team was given a tough challenge against Comets full squad.

The team began sharply, evidenced by a particular lengthy volley in which sophomore Corey Sweeney blocked two consecutive Hicksville spike attempts, and senior Michael Manticoff ending the rally with a kill to give Calhoun their first point of the day.

Junior Jonathan Baldyga recorded a kill to cut the Comets lead to 11-6, but Hicksville began to pull away after Jimmy Meyers slammed a kill to put his team up 19-8. Glick called a timeout with her team down 23-11, but Hicksville claimed the final two points to take the game.

Game two would start out close, as an early kill by Sweeney kept the Colts within striking distance, trailing 11-9. However, after Danny Nardiello executed a particularly vicious kill, the Comes rolled out 10 straight points behind splendid serving from James Thomas. Calhoun would score four points in a row late, but it was all for naught as Hicksville took the game, 25-16.

"Today's game was a big step forward," Thomas said. "We connected well with each other. We had lost our last game to Massapequa, but we learned from our mistakes and we learned to stay focused and help each other out, and we're playing better as the season goes on."

The Comets jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in game three. Calhoun kept playing hard though, as senior Tom Murnane blocked a spike attempt by Nardiello, and Sweeney would end the point with a kill to cut the deficit to 7-3. However, after another kill by Meyers, Alex McKiel served back-to-back aces to put Hicksville up 17-6. Manticoff put home a late kill for Calhoun, but the Comets would run away with the game, 25-15.

"I thought we passed well," Manticoff said. "And our digging and setting was decent. But we have to spike a little bit harder. Otherwise we did very well without our four starters.  This team is getting better."

Hicksville coach Rory Lawlor was proud of the determination her team showed on the court.

"I thought that it was important that we started off the match with a lot of energy," Lawlor said. "They were encouraging and pushing each other to play better. That's the way we began and it put a whole different type of attitude out on the court."

Next up, the Colts host Uniondale tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.