Port Girls Volleyball Defeats Plainview JFK

It was an all too familiar scene on Monday as the Port Washington girls volleyball team took down Nassau Conference AA-II rival Plainview-JFK for the second time this season, winning in four games, 25-14, 19-25, 25-22, 25-12.

Playing before the home crowd in the Schreiber High School gym, the Vikings improved to 12-1 with a strong finish against Plainview (7-7).

The win sets up arguably the biggest game of the year in girls volleyball. The Vikings will take on undefeated Herricks on Friday, in a matchup between two of Conference AA-II's powerhouses. 

Heros: Kristen Courage has played a consistent role of the Vikings and that was evident again on Monday with 22 kills and an ace in the victory. 

While Courage provided the power, senior Ingrid Wunderling gave the team a balanced service game. In the fourth set, Wunderling had four aces in a row (seven total) to give the Vikings momentum and also added 20 assists.  

Turning Point: It was at the end of the second set that Port knew it needed to turn the game around. The match was tied at 1-1 and the game was "to close for comfort," as head coach Steve Park referred to the situation. The Vikings eventually went on to win this contest because of their success in games three and four. Had they not risen to the challenge, a loss may have been inevitable. 

Quotable: "Even though we won, it wasn't too pretty," Park said. "As a coach, I'm never really satisfied. I'm happy with the effort that the girls give, but I always want more."

Bottom Line: Port Washington's veterans helped guide the Vikings to victory as the team had to overcome adversity (a second set loss) in order to eventually come away with the win. 

Senior Jamie Koopersmith happens to be one of those veterans. Koopersmith played libero for the majority of the match and dominated the defense. She had 20 digs throughout the four sets. 

On the front line, sophomore Deidre Hansen "complements and bolsters the team very nicely," Park said. Hansen had four kills, four aces and three blocks.

Key Stat: The Vikings had a total of 18 aces and used that as a tactic to its advantage throughout the match. 

Who's Next: Herricks @ Port Washington, Friday

Nassau Conference AA-II Girls Volleyball

TEAMS....................1.......2.......3.......4

Plainview-JFK........14......25......22.....12

Port Washington....25......19......25.....25