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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Brooklyn Tech shorts out in first ever semifinal

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See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

For Brooklyn Tech, its youth was its undoing.

The fourth-seeded Engineers, with just one starting senior, had No. 1 Benjamin Cardozo on the ropes late in the first set of the semifinals before the lead and control of the match slowly slipped away. Brooklyn Tech left pleased that it pushed the Judges in a, 25–21, 25–21 loss, but understood the opportunity it missed at Hunter College last Sunday.

“We needed to finish it,” Engineers coach Rosanne D’Augusta said. “We came so close.”

The Brooklyn Tech squad has come pretty far as well.

This was the Engineers’ first ever trip to the semifinals. Sophomore middle hitter Victoria Plonski admitted to being so nervous playing in a college gym for the first time that they paid too much attention to the prowess of Judges’ star outside hitter Anja Malesevic, who finished with 19 kills.

“I think it has to do with us being a young team,” Plonski said.

The Engineers (12–1) played beyond its years early in the first set behind the play of juniors Alexandra Klosse and Rachel Gray, along with Plonski. Brooklyn Tech led 20–18 before errors and a revitalized Cardozo team helped the Judges (13–0) score seven of the game’s final eight points to win the set and get back on track. Cardozo’s Whitney Yeung went on a 6–0 service run and Malesevic recorded three straight kills.

“I guess we kind of got the idea that Anja is so good, and she was, but we kind of let it get in our head” Plonski said.

D’Augusta, who felt her team should have set Plonski up for more kill attempts on offense, watched her squad battle in the second set, but never seriously threaten to win after Cardozo scored six straight points to take a 13–8 lead. Brooklyn Tech did get as close as 17–15 and 20–18, but was unable to get it tied.

Brooklyn Tech is proud of its season, despite the loss. The team feel the best is still to come for this group, which includes sophomore Chelsea Ferdinand and juniors Katherine Vaskevich and Marine Kotlyar. The players got their first real taste of play deep in the post season this year.

“This is our first year and they are all back,” D’Augusta said.

Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.

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