GLENS FALLS – While the Westhill girls volleyball team has turned trips to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association class B championships into something close to an annual event, getting the big prize has proved more and more elusive.
For the second year in a row the Warriors’ quest was denied at the last hurdle as Blind Brook, the Section I champions, pulled out a four-set victory in Sunday’s championship match at Glens Falls’ Cool Insuring Arena.
Stopped in 2023 in a three-set sweep by Lansing, Westhill appeared to have profited from that experience, given the way it played through Saturday’s round-robin portion of the state final four, a format slightly altered with each match a best of three sets rather than just two sets.
By scores of 25-8 and 25-19 the Warriors dominated Section IV’s Windsor and, while it wasn’t as lopsided, Westhill also swept Long Island’s Oyster Bay 25-14 and 25-19, leaving Blind Brook as the only real obstacle.
When the Warriors and Trojans met in pool play, Westhill dropped the first set 25-22, but even though it had clinched a spot in the state final it still evened the match 25-17 and, in a closely fought third set, pulled it out 17-15.
The tight nature of that third set would repeat itself in the best-of-five-set championship match a day later, but only after the Warriors got off to a far better start than it did against Lansing 12 months ago.
Putting together a 9-4 run to erase an early deficit, Westhill got in front of Blind Brook and stayed there to win the first set 25-19. This didn’t discourage the Trojans, though, for it would lead through most of the second set and by that same 25-19 score pull even.
Then came the third set. Regaining its early-match form, the Warriors battled its way ahead and, at 24-19, were ready to serve out the set. But it never got that last point, Blind Brook fighting off all of those opportunities, tying the set 24-24 and then going in front before converting its lone set point.
Now needing to win, Westhill jumped out to a 6-1 edge in the fourth. Gradually the Trojans caught up, and then it would go back and forth until Blind Brook found itself clinging to a 24-23 edge.
Starting at match point, the Warriors watched a Blind Brook hit appear to sail long to tie it 24-24. One official called it out, but was overruled by another official whose call stood – ending the match and Westhill’s latest state title run.
Eva Tarolli gained 17 kills, with Jocelyn Caputo adding 12 kills. Ava Baty managed 10 kills and Emma West finished with seven kills. Sophia Johnson passed to all of them with 39 assists as Alice Bender earned 28 digs, Baty adding 19 digs and Johnson 12 digs. West had seven digs and Caputo six digs.
Baty, Tarolli, Bender and Caputo all graduate from this Westhill side that went 39-6 over the past two seasons, but Johnson and West lead the group that returns for 2025 and will try again to make a state championship push.
