Girls Handball Fights to Finals Rematch Against Cardozo

Tiffany Lau Wu ‘24, first singles, lines up a shot against New Utrecht. Photo: @midwoodgirlshandball

By SOPHIA LIN, AYSHA AHMED, and BELINDA YONG

Sweeping through the playoffs with three dominant 5-0 wins against New Utrecht, Townsend Harris, and Francis Lewis, the girls handball team at last met their match against Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in the finals May 24, falling 3-2. It was a rematch of last year’s finals, when the Hornets prevailed 4-1.

“The team did great during the playoffs until our last game,” said junior Tiffany Lau Wu, first singles. “As the defending champs, we underestimated our opponent, but that won’t happen again. We’ll play our hardest next year to take it back.”

“We were all confident about winning the championship again this year but it didn’t happen,” Jasmine Quach ‘23 said. The team lost the first two games against Cardozo, putting them in the extremely challenging spot of needing to win all of the next three. Still, the Hornets nearly pulled it off.

“Overall, I’m very proud of myself and my team and I couldn’t ask for better teammates,” said Quach.

The Hornets ended the regular season 10-0, first in the division, winning 5-0 each time except for two 4-1 finishes against Brooklyn Tech.

“[Brooklyn Tech] gave us a good game,” said Wu.

“We could’ve won five out of five against them, but there’s always room for improvement,” said Mr. Andy Xu, one of the coaches of the team.

“It was a very fun game,” said Captain Janis Wu ‘23. “I got to compete against my old friends and have some friendly competition.”

The team officially practices twice a week, explained Alie Moy ‘24, first doubles, but they also get in additional practice time with the boys’ team. “Most of us also practice outside of school,” she added.

Mr. Xu boiled down some of his key reminders: “Always move your feet; keep moving. Always have motivation when you play. Play smart. Don't just get mad and smash the ball. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

The team displayed positive energy all season and a strong sense of camaraderie. “I just try to support them, tell them they are good players and not to think too much,” said senior Melanie Yin.

“We always make each other laugh,” said Moy. “It keeps our team positive and motivated. The game isn’t over until it’s over.  So no matter what the score is, you have to play until the end.”