Back with a vengeance: Lewis stuns top-seed Stuy to make title match

Francis Lewis started the season losing two straight league matches after going undefeated in PSAL Queens A6 for five years. The Patriots suffered injuries at different points to almost every member of the starting lineup and went into the postseason without senior setter Jessica Chung, who was hit by a car last week, compounding a sprained ankle and bad knee she already suffered this year.

After winning three straight titles from 2007 to 2009 and making the semifinals last year, it looked like the volleyball gods were finally turning their backs on one of the league’s premier programs.

Denis Gostev

Francis Lewis celebrates its victory over Stuyvesant.

Photos: Francis Lewis-Stuyvesant

Denis Gostev

Francis Lewis junior middle Naya Harris had nine kills in one of the best performances of her career.

Photos: Francis Lewis-Stuyvesant

“We went through a whole lot,” said junior middle hitter Naya Harris, who had a back injury of her own late in the season. “The beginning of the year was just horrible. We were all crushed. We didn’t know we were gonna make it.

Arnie Rosenbaum said this was one of the most difficult few months of his 15 years on the bench because of the injuries. By Monday, though, everyone might be calling it the program’s greatest success story.

No. 4 Francis Lewis came back from getting crushed in the first set to shock top-seed Stuyvesant, 14-25, 26-24, 25-23 in the PSAL Class A girls volleyball semifinals Saturday afternoon at York College. The Patriots (11-3) will be in their fifth city championship match in six years 7 p.m. Monday night against archrival Cardozo at Hunter College.

“It’s tremendous,” Rosenbaum said. “Unbelievable.”

Lewis led 23-19 in the third set and then had to survive. Stuyvesant’s Natalie Kozlova had a block and Melissa Chin added a kill to pull the Vixens within 24-23. Then the Patriots went to one of the most unlikeliest of heroes.

Harris, a lanky, 6-foot-1 middle who just started playing volleyball two years ago as a raw talent, had the match’s final kill, fittingly from Stacy Paickattu, taking the place of Chung at setter. Harris finished with nine kills and Rosenbaum said she was the go-to hitter in that spot because of how well she was playing.

“She did amazing,” Lewis sophomore star Ragina Anthony said. “Everything she hit went down. I’m so proud of her.”

The Patriots gutted out a similar second set. Chin (18 kills) had a back row kill to make it 24-all before Anthony ripped and kill and Rivka Abramova floated a perfect service ace to give their team the set victory.

“We dominated them in the first game,” said Stuyvesant’s Phil Fisher, who was coaching in his final game with the program after 13 years. “I was like, ‘Whoa.’ For them to just do a 180 like that, I give them all the respect in the world.”

Anthony had 10 kills and 18 digs, Lisa Camargo had five kills and 10 digs, Paickattu had 22 assists and libero Sandra Arcabascio had 19 digs. Rosenbaum said this team will go down as one of the ones he’s most proud of, right there with his first title team in 2003 and the squad that won three straight. This is not his most talented team ever, but it’s hard to deny their heart and unity.

“It’s not all the studs,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s just everybody playing. The eight girls on the court, they all did something.”

Stuyvesant was the top seed after a great regular season, including a win over defending champion Cardozo in a tournament. The Vixens were supposed to be in this spot and beyond. That wasn’t the case for these Patriots.

“It’s amazing,” Camargo said. “This is a surprise to everyone who we’re playing. Nobody thought we could beat Stuyvesant, because Stuyvesant beat Cardozo.”

Now they’ll try to do the same.

mraimondi@nypost.com