As Oliveira falters, so do Newcomers

Pablo Oliveira kept storming the net, rising up for his powerful swings. But the ball kept coming back at Newcomers’ star hitter just as fast, much as a boomerang would. It was like a pendulum, the harder Oliveira spiked the ball the tougher it was to get it past JFK’s wall of blockers.
With Oliveira, the Queens I division leader in kills who was also the 11th best hitter in the city, struggling so mightily, No. 5 Newcomers never had a chance in their first-ever PSAL Class A volleyball final, as they were outclassed by sixth-seeded JFK, 25-20, 25-15, at Hunter College last Thursday evening.
“I wasn’t expecting what they showed me today,” he said. “They knew my game. They just figured out which way I was going.”
Oliveira admitted to over-thinking after the first few blocks by JFK’s Luis Colon (10 blocks) and the rest of the Knights. Even in midair, as the Brazilian-born junior was preparing to make contact off a well-placed set, he would be unsure whether to go down the line or into the body of the defense, usually settling for the latter.
“He tried to go through the blocks a little out of frustration,” said Kert Fernandez, Newcomers Coach. “He had a tough day today. He struggled to get his rhythm a little. I give Kennedy credit.”
Newcomers (14-1) did lead the first game 12-10, but JFK scored 12 of the next 16 points, capped by sophomore Jonathan Cruz’s untouched kill, to lead, 22-16. The Lions reeled off three straight points on Jorge Castillo’s serve, but Julio Acevedo scored a point with a block and Oliveira was well long on a kill, capping the game. Newcomers never recovered. JFK (15-0) jumped out 9-2 in the second game, and led 16-6 after another Lions error, this time on Dominik Paszek’s serve. “We made too many errors,” said Fernandez, “and with Kennedy’s style of play, they capitalize on [your] mistakes.”
Indeed, the Knights waited for the Lions’ miscues, and then took full advantage. But when they saw Oliveira struggling, they knew it was their match to win. “After a player gets blocked - when it’s the best player - sometimes the players get down and the whole team gets down,” said the high-flying Colon, so instrumental in Oliveira’s struggles. “We took him out and that was it.”
Fernandez, nevertheless, was proud of his team, a group that upset Bryant, the defending champions, and top-seeded Midwood in the semifinals. “I’ll never forget this team,” he said. “They gave me 100 percent and it showed. … I’ll never look at it as we lost in the finals. I’ll look at it as we made it to the finals and fought hard.”