They spiked, they dug, they killed.
The Port Washington Vikings were thrown into a very close volleyball match against the Plainview Hawks Monday afternoon that ended with a Vikings Triumph, making their overall record 10-1.
As head Coach Maria Giamanco noted, Plainview is a tough team to beat, which is why the game went to five games instead of three with back-and-forth sets: 21-25 Plainview, 25-16 Port Washington, 25-23 Plainview, 25-23 Port Washington and 25-21 Port Washington for the win.
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Quotable: “We did enough to win,” Coach Giamanco said. “We played a little inconsistent. We had moments of brilliance and moments of not so good.”
Heroes: Jong Ho Byun led the team with 30 kills. Matt Cacioppo had 28 assists, David Kim had 31 digs, Kevin Nardone had 7 kills, 27 assists and 2 blocks, Adam Cuthill had 5 kills 18 digs, Paul Kagan had 7 kills and 8 blocks, and Dan Minicucci had 5 kills, 2 blocks and 14 digs.
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Turning Point: After losing the first set, the Vikings brought serious heat, prompting fans to scream and shake their feet so fast it felt like an earthquake in the gymnasium. That heat started to fizzle out in the third set, with Plainview ultimately taking that game.
“Plainview is a tough team to play because they’re a very good defensive team and they can cause you to get frustrated and play a little inconsistent, but we did what we needed to do,” Giamanco said.
Key Stat: It all came down to the fifth and final set with both teams holding two wins each. The Vikings, tired and sweaty, put in a valiant effort that brought them to the top of the standings.
Bottom Line: Both teams were strong in attacking the ball, blocking shots at the net and putting in a high number of kills and digs.
Who’s Next: Port Washington will take on Massapequa next Wednesday. “This will be a really, really big game," Giamanco said. "We match up with them very well and they’re a very, very good team. If we play inconsistent the way we did today then we’re going to have a hard time.”
TEAMS…………………….1……....2……....3……....4……...5
Plainview……………….25……..16……..25……..23…….21
Port Washington……21……..25……..23………25…….25
