In any team sport communication is important.
In volleyball, it’s vital.
The players on the court need to be in constant communication as every hit of the ball dictates their next move.
In all the chaos, it helps when teams have that one voice on the floor getting everyone in position.
For Williamsville South, that voice belongs to senior libero Gabby Presutti.
“Gabby was all over the place,” Billies’ coach Tom Sproull said of Presutti. “She gave her all, diving all over the place. She’s our vocal leader and everyone else follows suit.”
On Saturday, Presutti directed her team to the championship at the Sweet Home Girls Volleyball tournament.
“We hadn’t won a tournament in a few years,” said Presutti, who was named to the All-Tournament team. “Coming out and beating good teams like Sacred Heart and Niagara Wheatfield was a really big win for us.”
Williamsville South fought back from a 4-0 starting deficit to win the first set 25-14 before sweeping Niagara Wheatfield in two sets.
Sophomore Amari DeBerry came up with a block to tie the game at five. The Billies pulled away ending the first set with a 9-2 run.
Will South took immediate control of the second set jumping out to a 6-0 lead. The Falcons fought back tying the game at 12 and 17, but couldn’t hold onto a lead. The Billies scored seven-straight points to pull away for a 25-20 set victory to capture the tournament title.
“I’m excited with how we grow every day,” Sproull said. “This team continues to get better and that’s really exciting. Everyone is buying in.”
The Billies also posted wins over Orchard Park, Kenmore West, Mount St. Mary’s, Frontier and a semifinal win over Sacred Heart.
The championship game could be a preview of what’s to come as both Williamsville South and Niagara Wheatfield are in Class A, and are considered to be one of the better teams in their respective leagues.
“It’s a very big confidence boost to know that we can get a win over teams like Wheatfield,” Presutti said.
The Falcons finished as the runner-up in the Sweet Home tourney for the second year in a row.
“(Will South) was ready to go without a doubt and we really weren’t,” N-W coach Brandi Cochran said. “I think it’s good for us to see that the level that we need to play at if we want to come close to going as far as we did last year. I think playing in a final match with a team that’s in your division really means something.”
Niagara Wheatfield, who entered the final unblemished, has been on a hot streak with a 6-0 record in the Niagara Frontier League so far this season.
“I try not to use that word [undefeated] because I want to keep the girls grounded and level-headed,” Cochran said. “We are playing pretty well and we’re doing what we need to do to be successful. I think the girls are driving for another league championship.”
The Falcons beat Frontier, Mount Mercy, Attica, Orchard Park and Williamsville North.
All-Tournament Team
Megan Muehlbauer – Williamsville South (MVP)
Mackenzie Franks – Niagara Wheatfield
Maddy Gerber – Sweet Home
Anna Johnston – Frontier
Shelby Kersten – Alden
Sarah Lucas – Orchard Park
Allie Macon – Williamsville North
Gabby Presutti – Williamsville South
Siobhan Ryan – Sacred Heart
Jenna Sonnenberg – Niagara Wheatfield
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