October 27th, 2023

Poughkeepsie, NY - The Westchester Women's Volleyball team finished their season with a first round loss versus #2 Dutchess on Thursday 3-0 (15-25, 13-25, 24-26).  The team was unable to overcome an uneven start where they stayed competitive early in games 1 & 2 but then faltered late.  

The Vikings came into the tournament as the #7 seed, though 4-7 were separated by just two points.  One more regular season win could have changed the course of the tournament for WCC and could have meant hosting a first round matchup.  But that wasn't meant to be and instead the Vikings drew the #2 and defending Region 15 Champion Dutchess Falcons.  

After falling into an 0-2 hole, the teams demeanor changed.  Those on site were treated to a never-say-die effort as they battled back to lead right up until the end in game 3.  In fact, they held a 4 point lead late in the match only to have the Falcons storm back, tie the score and eventually win by 2.  

Naina Thomas (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac HS) led the Vikings with 10 digs and 14 assists.  Gabriella Cresti Caetano (Yonkers, NY/Yonkers HS) was strong as usual with 9 digs and 5 kills.  Freshman Julia Powlowicz (Hawthorne, NY) added 7 kills and an ace of her own to help the Westchester attack.  

The Vikings finished the regular season with an 8-8 (8-10 overall) record, marking a strong first year and foundation building effort by new Head Coach Phil Toscano.  The team will graduate several key players but looks forward to having the returners work to improve in the off season in order to take the next step forward.