Seaford Girls Volleyball Ready for Class B Playoffs at 14-0

The Seaford girls volleyball team is experiencing this season what many high school programs could only fathom about. 

The Lady Vikings are riding an unblemished record into the Class B playoffs at 14-0. Following a four-set victory over Mineola on Oct. 20, Seaford officially clinched the Conference BC-I championship, but it only serves as just one of the goals the team is after this fall.

“We had a lot of good competition during the season and I thought ‘now I don’t want to lose this record, I wanted them to have it,’” said seventh year head coach Marie Savage.

Led by senior captain and main setter Meaghan Curley, who averaged 15 assists per match, Seaford racked up eight sweeps over its opponents thus far.

“Coming into the season, we knew it was going to be so hard to make cuts, because all 15 of us are a starting squad,” said Curley. ”We’ve worked everyday on hitting, blocking, defense, and it has all really come together. We really have a lot of teamwork.”

Upon being brought up to varsity by Coach Savage as a freshman, Curley found herself on the court more often than anticipated. When Seaford was in the 2008 Long Island championship against John Glenn, she was put onto the court again.

Curley has been on the varsity team ever since and is making an impact game after game. After being inserted into such a position as just a freshman was an experience that has propelled her to be the to player she is today.

Megan Sullivan, another senior captain, has played a key role in keeping the team together when opponents’ eyes were set upon them throughout their amazing run to the playoffs.

 “It has been a good experience so far with an undefeated season in senior year,” said Sullivan. “You always want that to happen, but you think it never will, and it finally did.”

Senior Hannah Spinola, also a captain, has provided the voice and a source of intensity that is keeping this team going until what they hope is a Long Island title in 2011.

“We had to work really hard to get to where we are and we practice hard and grew together as a team,” said Spinola.

Other key players that have been impacted the Lady Viking success this season are senior outside hitter Juliana Puleo, who averaged eight kills and 10 digs per match, junior libero Emily Palermo, junior blocker Megan Russell and sophomore blocker Jessica Rini, who averaged seven kills and four blocks per match. 

Throughout the first 14 games, Seaford has conceded just six sets. Their district neighbors, Wantagh, which plays out of Class A, is also experiencing an undefeated season and is in the running for another Long Island title this season.

Top-seeded Seaford will take on fourth-seeded Clarke on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a semifinal match at Roslyn High School. The Lady Vikings defeated the Lady Rams twice this season, both by a 3-1 set count.

“I just hope we can hold our game. I expect some pretty serious competition because everybody at the end of the season is just getting better and better,” said Savage.