EAST HAVEN — The Seymour volleyball team is comprised of a calm and resilient group of players.
Even when they were hit with a curve ball on the way to the state finals, it was coach Cathy Federowicz who got nervous, not her Wildcats.
“I saw them this morning, they were very confident, and then we got stuck in traffic through the Yale-Harvard game and I’m flipping out thinking we’re going to be late for the game,” Federowicz said. “It didn’t even seem to faze them. They came in and played phenomenal.”
It paid off with another championship.
Top-seeded Seymour captured its second consecutive CIAC Class M crown with a 3-1 victory over No. 11 Waterford in a wild final which included the longest set in tournament history Saturday at East Haven High School.
2019 CIAC FALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD
“I’m so excited and so thankful for this opportunity and to be a part of this team,” Seymour senior Kat Kucsera said. “I’m just so happy that we pulled this through.”
“I’m really excited because we’ve worked so hard all season,” Seymour senior Faith Rousseau, the tournament MVP, said. “Waterford was a really good team, so I’m glad we were able to come out on top. This definitely means a lot to us and our seniors.”
Faith Rousseau’s kill ends it as Seymour beats Waterford 3-1 and repeats as Class M champs #ctvb @GameTimeCT pic.twitter.com/xkruwIvacn
— Dave Stewart (@DStewartSports) November 23, 2019
The state title is the third in four seasons for the Wildcats (25-1), who have lost just twice in the past two years, going 49-2 overall. They dropped just eight sets this fall, including only two in four state tournament games.
Rousseau led the Wildcats with 32 kills, while Kolby Sirowich added 12. Jacey Cosciello had 18 digs and Kucsera had 12 digs, with setter Emma Rousseau dishing out 47 assists.
On the other side, the Lancers (21-6) were denied their first state title since 2015, when they defeated Ellington. They had won eight straight matches leading up to the state final, a streak which included an ECC Div. I championship.
Crazy 2nd set ends with Waterford beating Seymour 38-36! Sets are tied at 1-1 #ctvb @GameTimeCT pic.twitter.com/Acmv1Qts7g
— Dave Stewart (@DStewartSports) November 23, 2019
Watertown’s offense was led by senior Ryleigh Gonyo, along with Rachel Miller and Sabrina Kobyluck, with solid defense from libero Briana Muckle.
“They have nothing to be ashamed of,” Waterford coach Matt Maynard said. “They went out there, played their absolute best from beginning to end, and showed incredible mental toughness. As a coach, that means everything. They gave it their all.”
That showed through in the second set, when the two teams combined for 74 points to set a CIAC tournament record. After taking the first set 25-22, Seymour had a 23-18 lead in the second when Waterford roared back with five straight points to tie the score.
Seymour takes the 3rd set 26-24 and leads Waterford 2-1 #ctvb @GameTimeCT pic.twitter.com/bMpKURILjr
— Dave Stewart (@DStewartSports) November 23, 2019
Seymour had set points at 24-23 and 25-24, but the Lancers fought those off to start a roller coaster ride during which the teams combined for 13 set points — Seymour had seven and Waterford six — before the Lancers finally put it in the books at 38-36.
“They were in the moment and not giving into a mistake you just had, but winning that point,” Maynard said. “We talk about this all the time, the most important point in volleyball is this one. We did a good job of staying in the moment.”
“Both teams had opportunities to win that earlier on and just couldn’t put it away,” Federowicz said. “When we got beat in that one, I said ok, but we can’t come out for game three. Game three was huge.”
Kolby Sirowich hit ends first set as Seymour takes it 25-22. #ctvb @GameTimeCT pic.twitter.com/YCH5BSLfJ2
— Dave Stewart (@DStewartSports) November 23, 2019
In that third set, the Wildcats built a 17-11 lead, but again Waterford responded, eventually tying the score at 24-24. This time, however, Seymour put it away at 26-24.
“It was pretty tiring because it was so back-and-forth, they’d win a point and we’d win a point,’ ” Kucsera said. “We just knew that we had to pull through and get that good pass and that good set for one of our big hitters to come down and bring us the point.”
“They are a very, very good team and (Gonyo) is a phenomenal hitter and there were times we just traded punches. Faith would hit one, she would hit one, back and forth,” Federowicz said.
Although the Lancers stayed close in the fourth set, Seymour led from start to finish and won 25-20 for the title.
“It was just being together as a team and working together,” Rousseau said of the Wildcats’ success. “When we played together, that’s when we’re at our best.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Faith Rousseau, Seymour. The senior hitter went out on top with 32 kills in the final to earn MVP honors. Rousseau and the Wildcats’ seniors claimed three state titles in four years.
QUOTABLE
“I’m going to remember how hard our coach was on us and how hard are practices were, but also how worth it was in the end because we won three state championships in my four years playing volleyball for Seymour. It’s a great program we have here.” — Seymour senior Kat Kucsera
