Smithtown East's Thrilling Comeback Yields Trip to Suffolk County Finals

The Smithtown East players insisted that the confidence was always there.

Down two games to none in Monday night's Suffolk County Division I boys' volleyball semifinal playoff against Lindenhurst, the Bulls needed all the confidence they could get.

What they really needed was a lead, and once they grabbed the early lead in game three, the momentum shifted dramatically. The second-ranked Bulls, playing in front of their home crowd at Smithtown East High School, took the next three games to complete a stirring, 3-2 comeback victory over the third seed Bulldogs, setting up a county championship showdown against Half Hollow Hills.

The Bulls (18-0) dropped games one and two, 25-21 and 25-20, before grabbing an eight-point lead in game three and holding on to win, 25-21. The Bulls then rolled to a 25-10 win in game four, setting up the decisive fifth game, a back-and-forth affair that the Bulls won, 25-23.

"We knew we had to get the first point of the [fifth] game. From then on, we knew we had it," said Bulls setter Sean Baxley, who finished with 54 assists. "We definitely had confidence. And we rode the energy of the crowd. Our fans are awesome."

Tyler Donofrio turned in a Willis Reed-like performance for the Bulls, leading the team with 20 kills, but more importantly, leading by example. Donofrio injured his ankle in the Bulls' quarterfinal victory over Sachem North and sat out the first game against Lindenhurst.

Clearly hobbled by the injury, Donofrio nevertheless took the court in game two.

"We wanted to start the game with me not playing at all," Donofrio said. "After we lost the first game, coach and I said that I was good enough to go in and play the rest of the game."

"We had to change things up a bit with the rotation because of Tyler's injury," said Bulls coach Kelly Aiello, noting that Matt DeFiore played in the back row when Donofrio rotated out. "That helped Tyler rest a bit and gain his confidence to go out and do his job."

Lindenhurst (12-5), which finished second in League I this season, got terrific play from Chris Wharry, Nick Cervasio and Travis VonHolt to take the first two games. The Bulldogs were down 15-14 in game one but scored eight of the next 12 points to take the lead for good. Lindenhurst grabbed a 15-10 lead in game two and saw the Bulls rally back to within a point at 20-21, before closing out the win with four straight points.

The Bulls, who went unbeaten in League II for their fifth straight league championship, wouldn't quit. A kill by Andrew Sanchez, who finished with 11, gave the Bulls an 8-7 lead in game three and they never looked back. Dan Walsh, who had 13 kills, put the Bulls up 21-13, and while Lindenhurst rallied to within two at 23-21, a kill by Donofrio won the game, 25-21.

"I think finally in the third game we got the lead for once and we went with it," Aiello said. "Once we had the lead, we had the confidence and did what had to be done."

"We really had to put some distance between us," Donofrio said. "They're a great team. We just had to get up and then bolster that lead."

The Bulls ran out to a 13-5 lead in game four, with a terrific block by Steven Tarquinio. Matt Pellechi (12 kills) made it 16-7 with a kill and then 22-9 with a well-placed tip. A kill by Sanchez forced game five and had the home crowd fired up.

The Bulls took an 11-7 lead in game five on a kill by Walsh but the Bulldogs tied it and later went ahead, 17-16. An ace by Baxley and a block by Walsh put the Bulls up by two, and kills by Donofrio and Sanchez upped the lead to three, 21-18. Lindenhurst got back to within a point at 23-22, but then a Donofrio kill gave the Bulls match point.

The Bulldogs cut it to 24-23 on a kill by Wharry and were serving to tie the game when a VonHolt kill attempt sailed out, sending the Bulls to the county title game, which will be played Wednesday at Longwood High School at 7 p.m.

The Bulls' opponent will be top-ranked League I champion Half Hollow Hills (16-0), which defeated No. 4 Northport on Monday, 3-1.

"It's the battle of the undefeateds," Donofrio said. "Anyone can win on that day."

"We've been looking forward to playing them all year," said Baxley. "They're the only team we wanted to play. They're the only game we circled on the schedule."

Baxley said the key to the Bulls winning a county title is to "play our game. Don't get psyched out, be smart. Just play our game."