Longwood Rallies to Beat Port Jeff:

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Mar 1999

It’s ironic Longwood’s girls volleyball team also is known as the Lions because they don’t always exhibit the killer instinct that lions are known for.

You don’t have to remind Longwood’s coaching staff about that.

“We’ve told them this time and time again,” assistant coach Eddie Knudsen said. “They tend to relax when they get ahead and don’t get back into it until it gets urgent.”

It happened again in the season opener Friday. The Lions won the first and third games, but continued to allow Port Jefferson to come back.

The Royals were only two points away from stealing the match before the Lions scored six straight points to clinch a 15-7, 13-15, 15-5, 16-18, 15-13 win.

Longwood cut its deficit in the fifth game to 13-10 and then received some help from the opposition. The Lions were awarded a point after Port Jefferson received a red card. The Lions used what became a two-point play to cut the deficit to one before eventually pulling ahead.

“Unfortunately we didn’t play with a sense of urgency until we sensed it was urgent,” Longwood coach Jackie Ammirato said.

Longwood played without its best player, Rebecca Ashare, who arrived after a doctor’s appointment midway through the match. According to Knudsen, the senior was cleared to return to action next week after suffering chest pains earlier in the week.

Ashare missed a month of the fall tennis season due to a bout with mononucleosis and then contracted lyme disease from a tick bite days before Thanksgiving. “It’s been a tough senior year for her,” Knudsen said.

Senior Cheri Eleazer (18) and junior Michelle Cetner helped pick up the slack. They combined to have 15 kills and junior Shannon Kelly added 44 assists to lead Longwood.

Preview: Longwood, a semifinalist last year, is probably the team to beat among the Large Schools with veterans Jackie Ammirato, 6-3 Becky Ashare, Cheri Eleazer and junior setter Shannon Kelly. Connetquot, the county champion in ’96 and ’97, will also be tough with 5-10 hitters Lauren Weber and Michelle Wilk, setter Lyndsay Elznic, Nicole Hassett and Jen Bruno.

 Nicole Masari had five service points in the fifth match to push Longwood ahead for the win against Patchogue-Medford.

Girls Volleyball East Islip 5,15,15,13,15 Whitman 15,13,13,15,11 Commack 15,15,15 Central Islip 9,8,11 Connetquot 15,15,15 Brentwood 4,2,3 Southold / Greenport 9,15,15,4,15 Eastport 15,12,2,15,10 Glenn 15,15,10,15 Babylon 11,11,15,2 Westhampton 15,5,15,15 Hampton Bays 3,15,2,2 Longwood 15,14,9,15,15 Patchogue-Medford 5,16,15,10,10 Port Jefferson 15,15,15 LaSalle 0,5,2 Sachem 15,15,10,15 Ward Melville 7,9,15,3 Rocky Point 15,15,15 Amityville 5,7,5 Center Moriches 15,15,15 Stony Brook 2,5,8 March 30

Longwood, a semifinalist last year, is probably the team to beat among the Large Schools with veterans Jackie Ammirato, 6-3 Becky Ashare, Cheri Eleazer and junior setter Shannon Kelly. Connetquot, the county champion in ’96 and ’97, will also be tough with 5-10 hitters Lauren Weber and Michelle Wilk, setter Lyndsay Elznic, Nicole Hassett and Jen Bruno. April 2

Becky Ashare had 26 kills and four blocks for Longwood in its win over Connetquot in girls volleyball. Paloma Oria tied the third game with nine straight service points to bring Longwood back from a 10-1 deficit .

Ashare Helps Key Longwood Victory:

John Boell. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Apr 1999

It’s only April and, yet, Becky Ashare describes 1999 as “a pretty rough year.” The Longwood senior girls volleyball player was disagnosed with Lyme disease in December. She was finally starting to get her energy back when she began experiencing chest pains in March.

After extensive testing, Ashare was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, making it difficult for her to play in games, or even exercise, for that matter.

But slowly Ashare is showing signs of her old self. Look no further than yesterday’s 7-15, 15-7, 15-4, 15-5 win at Westhampton in a battle of Class A unbeatens.

Ashare led Longwood with 15 kills, including seven in the fourth game, 8 service points, 3 blocks and 2 aces.

“It’s been tough,” said Ashare, who began using an inhaler April 1. “Because of the Lyme disease, I wasn’t in the shape I needed to be in, but I’m starting to get back.”

Longwood (7-0) needed her after Westhampton won the first game. coach Jackie Ammirato said the Lions have struggled with slow starts all season.

“The kids sometimes don’t believe they’re capable of playing at a high level,” Ammirato said. “I told them after the {first-game} changeover, `I need to get my team back.’ “

The Lions responded in a big way. Senior Cheri Eleazer had 14 kills, 9 service points and 2 aces. Spanish foreign-exchange student Palomia Oria had 10 service points and four aces, and junior setter Shannon Kelly added nine points with two aces.

“We just didn’t believe in ourselves {in the first game},” said Ashare, who earned a volleyball scholarship to the University at Buffalo. “We weren’t ready to play, but we woke up.”

When Longwood did, Westhampton (6-1) paid the price. “We played a good first game,” Hurricanes coach Leonard Zaloga said. “Unfortunately, Longwood started playing better, and forced us into a lot of mistakes.”

Maureen Burns led the Hurricanes with 13 digs and four aces, and Jamie Schulz had 11 kills and four aces. Jackie Reed added 33 assists, and Courtney Dumrauf had 11 digs and eight kills.

Volleyball

MVP Steve Park had 32 assists as Port Washington swept Herricks in the final of the St. Anthony’s Invitational . . . Becky Ashare was named MVP as Longwoodbeat Whitman in the final of the Mt. Sinai Tournament.

Boys St. Anthony’s Invitational – Final Post Washington 15,15,15 Herricks 8,17,5 Girls Bay Shore 15,15,15 Patchogue-Medford 8,11,11 Mt. Sinai Tournament – Final Longwood 15,15 Whitman 11,2 Consolation Miller Place 15,15 Hauppauge 7,4 April 18

Girls Volleyball

Meghan Mullaney (12) and Andrea Chibbaro combined for 23 service points and Jennifer Cioffi had 14 digs as Bellport clinched the League IV title by beating North Babylon in three games. Bellport won the League III title last season.

Longwood 15,15,15, Brentwood 7,3,9; Commack 13,15,15,15,15, Centereach 15,4,17,3,8; Bay Shore 15,15,15, C. Islip 7,6,9; E. Islip 9,15,15,15, W. Islip 15,5,10,7; Mt. Sinai 15,15,15, Hampton Bays 6,5,3; Port Jeff. 15,15,15, Shelter Island 0,1,6; W. Melville 15,12,15,15, Patchogue-Medford 3,15,7,13; Connetquot 15,15,15, Floyd 4,10,6; Bellport 15,15,15, N. Babylon 3,9,6; Glenn 15,16,15, East Hampton 5,14,13. May 6

Girls Volleyball

Jillian Rodriguez served nine points in Central Islip’s 14-1 run in the fifth game of the Musketeers’ win over Brentwood. The Indians scored 12 of the first 13 points in the fifth game. Sarah Kellerman had eight kills for Central Islip . . . Laura Pohmer had 67 digs and 13 kills and Bernadette Walker added 51 digs to lead Commack past Whitman in five games . . . Kathleen Owen had 23 kills, 12 blocks and 6 digs to lift Bay Shore over East Islip . . . Becky Ashare had 15 kills and three blocks to lead Longwood over Ward Melville . . . Pam Gustafson had 21 blocks and Marissa Wein added 10 kills to propel Patchogue-Medford to a four-game win over Floyd. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 08 May 1999:

Becky Ashare had 17 kills and Cheri Eleazer had eight blocks and eight kills as No. 2 Longwood beat No. 7 East Islip in four games. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 May 1999: 

Port Jeff Keeps Winning:

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 22 May 1999:

Longwood Silences Critics, Fans. If a volleyball falls in a gymnasium and there are no fans there to hear it, does it make a sound?

After four-plus games between Longwood and Bay Shore in a Large Schools semifinal, the referee had the gym cleared because she heard a whistle from the stands. With concerned parents and friends standing in the hallway, No. 2 Longwood went on to beat No. 3 Bay Shore, 4-15, 15-13, 9-15, 15-4, 15-5. Becky Ashare had 24 kills and 15 blocks, Cheri Eleazer had 16 kills and 12 blocks, and Shannon Kelly had 51 assists and served 12 of the final 30 points for the Lions, who face Westhampton in the final on Tuesday at Patchogue-Medford.

“The situation was weird,” Longwood coach Jackie Ammirato said of clearing the gymnasium. “We were up 7-3 in the game and I was leery about it changing momentum for us. We were anticipating a difficult match, but this was an all-out battle.”

It was the first time Longwood had to go to five games to win a match since the season opener.

“That was the difference for us,” Ammirato said. “They were tiring and we were coming on strong.”

Longwood Captures Title:

John Boell. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 26 May 1999

Separately, Longwood seniors Becky Ashare and Cheri Eleazer are great volleyball players. Together, the duo forms one of the best one-two knockout punches in Suffolk.

Ashare registered 19 kills, 5 points and 4 aces, and Eleazer added 18 points, 15 kills, 6 aces and 4 blocks as second-seeded Longwood captured the Large Schools title with a 15-8, 7-15, 15-8, 15-13 win over No. 4 Westhampton yesterday at Patchogue-Medford. Longwood (21-1) will play Small Schools champ Hauppauge for the Suffolk overall title 7 p.m. tomorrow at Patchogue-Medford. No. 1 Hauppauge beat No. 2 Port Jefferson, 15-8, 15-5, 12-15, 15-13, in the Small Schools final.

“We had to play every game like it was a fifth game,” Eleazer said. “When there is pressure on Longwood, we play better.”

After the teams split the first two games, the pressure was definitely on the Lions when Westhampton scored seven straight points to take a 7-4 lead in the third game.

Knockout No. 1: Ashare serves five straight points, including three aces, as Longwood takes a 9-7 lead. The Hurricanes would stop the run when they regained serve and an Eleazer kill attempt missed wide for 9-8, but the Lions would score the final six points to take the critical third game, 15-8.

In the fourth game, Longwood took a 7-0 lead, thanks to five straight service points from Eleazer, but the Hurricanes weathered the storm and would score 13 of the next 16 points to go up 13-10.

Knockout No. 2: An Eleazer kill stopped the run as the senior took serve and registered an ace that cut the deficit to 13-11. Ashare then exploded with three straight kills, the final one a tip shot as Longwood led 14-13 with Eleazer serving for a trip to the championship. After Westhampton lost serve, Jillian Raupp’s kill attempt went off Meghan Reutzel out-of-bounds to send the Longwood bench into euphoria and the Lions to their first county final.

Longwood setter Shannon Kelly had 37 assists and Raupp had six kills and four points, including an ace. Westhampton (20-4) was led by senior Courtney Dumruf’s 15 kills and junior setter Jackie Reed’s 21 assists.

“We knew coming in {to the season} we were a good team with a great group of girls coming back,” Ashare said. “As long as we had the confidence in ourselves, the ability was there.”

Not to mention one heck of a one-two knockout punch. Which Hauppauge has seen twice in early-season tournaments, and twice in scrimmages. Hauppauge (19-1) beat the Lions in the Glenn Tournament final, and lost to them in the Mt. Sinai Tournament semifinals.

“We know each other pretty well,” Hauppauge coach Jaak Raudsepp said. “I expect it to be a good match, especially between Becky {Ashare} and Allison {Gunther}.”

Gunther, a senior middle blocker, led Hauppauge with 26 kills and senior setter Michelle Bartilucci added 45 assists against Port Jefferson (17-3). The Royals were paced by Kristin Risberg and Katie Scarth with 12 kills each.

“We’re mostly a team of juniors,” Royals coach Tony Anacreonte said, “and I think Hauppauge had just a little more experience, but we’ll be back.”

Longwood Wins Volleyball Title:

John Boell. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 28 May 1999:

The Longwood volleyball team has been all about sacrifice. Not only this season, but the previous six under coach Jackie Ammirato, who went 0-12 her first year with the Lions.

“I just wanted to cry,” said Ammirato about the difficult first year. “But I knew if I could get the girls excited about volleyball, and get them to want to be in the gym, it would naturally lead them to become a better team.”

They can now be called a great team, and the best in Suffolk. Longwood, the Large School champion, outlasted a tough Hauppauge squad, 12-15, 15-7, 15-13, 15-7, for the Suffolk girls volleyball championship at Patchogue-Medford yesterday before a crowd of 500.

“We set out for this {championship} at the beginning of the season,” said junior setter Shannon Kelly, who had 34 assists, 7 points and 3 digs, “and thought about it before every practice.”

Practice, dedication, sacrifice – the staples of the Longwood program.

Sacrifice? Cheri Eleazer battled the lingering effects of a long basketball season. Sacrifice? Becky Ashare fought through a bout with Lyme disease and asthma. Sacrifice? Ammirato, five months pregnant with her second child, was told by her doctor at 9 a.m. yesterday that she has a hernia. Ammirato, who couldn’t sit during the fourth game, will undergo surgery this morning at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson.

“When the doctor told me I wouldn’t be hurting myself or the baby, I knew I had to be here,” Ammirato said. “We’ve sacrificed too much for me to miss this.”

She would have missed some match. Hauppauge (19-2), the Small School champ, won the first game as senior Allison Gunther contributed 10 kills, 4 digs and 3 points.

“We felt confident,” said Gunther, who finished with a match-high 33 kills and added 6 points, 5 digs and 4 blocks.

Longwood (22-1) won Game 2. The match turned on the third game.

Trailing 7-6, Hauppauge ran off four straight points to take a 10-7 advantage. The Lions responded with seven straight points to take a 14-10 lead. Gunther’s kill gave the Eagles the serve. Hauppauge scratched out three points to make it 14-13, but after three consecutive sideouts, Gunther narrowly missed keeping the ball in play on Longwood‘s serve.

“After we won that third game, I knew we’d win,” said Eleazer, who had 19 kills, 8 points, 5 digs and 4 blocks. Longwood jumped out to a 10-4 lead en route to winning Game 4 and the Suffolk crown.

“Jackie and I have worked together for four years,” said Ashare, who tallied 21 kills, 6 points and 4 blocks. “We’ve talked about this from the beginning of the season. This win puts Longwood volleyball on the map.”