Nanuet’s Laura Zazyczny, center, tries to get the keep the ball over the net as Lourdes’ Jessica D’Auria, left, and Anna Kolosky, right, block during Tuesday’s game.
In the week preceding its postseason debut on Tuesday, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School volleyball team played in five gymnasiums. Not by choice.
With its own court recently closed for repairs, the Warriors have adopted Arlington High School’s gym as their own. But between scheduling conflicts there and planned scrimmages elsewhere, Lourdes went Hudson Valley hopping to find venues for practice.
To think, doesn’t a No. 1 seed usually come with home-court advantage?
“It’s a challenge,” Warriors coach Emily Krieger said. “But a court is a court.”
And a dominant team is a dominant team. Jessica D’Auria had 17 kills and 11 digs to lead Lourdes in a 25-7, 25-18, 25-14 victory over No. 8 Nanuet in the Section 1 Class B quarterfinal at Arlington.
The Warriors “host” the winner of the other quarterfinal between Putnam Valley and Valhalla at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Compared to the adversity we dealt with last year,” Krieger said, referring to their two-win season, “this is something the girls aren’t worried about. They come to play, no matter where.”
Lourdes’ Grace Rappleyea hits the ball over the net during Tuesday’s game against Nanuet.
Vanessa Jacobs added 10 digs and Ceara Giametta had 23 assists for Lourdes (17-1). Grace Rappleyea had seven kills and five aces and Anna Kolosky five kills.
Krieger had the players jumping rope this season as part of their conditioning and joked that by season’s end, they would be able to Double Dutch. Last week, several of them actually did and video made its way online.
So, yeah, home or “home,” the Warriors seem to be skipping along.
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
Lourdes’ Rebecca Townes, center left, goes to tap the ball over the net during Tuesday’s game against Nanuet.