The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake girls volleyball team couldn’t dig itself out of a deep hole against Hendrick Hudson in Sunday’s class A championship match at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament in Glens Falls.
The defending state champion Sailors breezed through the first two games 25-5 and 25-17 and then won the fourth game 25-12 to defeat the Spartans 3-1. BH-BL won the third game 25-15.
Getting to the finals proved to be emotionally draining for BH-BL coach Gary Bynon. He needed a moment to compose himself after the Spartans defeated Section V champion Victor 25-19 in a one-game playoff following Saturday’s pool play.
All I did was tell them we needed one game, and they just responded, said Bynon. `I didn’t have to say anything more than that.`
Senior Erin Little ` who signed a national letter of intent to attend Syracuse University Monday ` led BH-BL in the tournament with 50 kills and 19 blocks. She had 17 kills in Sunday’s state final against Hendrick Hudson and eight kills against Victor in Saturday’s one-game playoff.
`The team has done a great job,` said Little, who set a school career record for blocks (538) and a one-season mark for kills (526). `Everyone has worked really hard.`
Freshman Maria Allocco had 21 kills and five blocks during the six pool play games and the one-game playoff against Victor. Senior Leah Farrell contributed 14 kills, 11 digs and six aces in the tournament, and junior Laura Falkowitz added 61 assists in pool play.“