INSIDE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Lewis setter's comeback halted by car accident

It just hasn’t been Jessica Chung’s fall.

The Francis Lewis setter was sidelined early with a knee injury. Then she hurt her ankle midseason at a tournament. And last week, just as she was about to come back and compete in the playoffs, Chung got hit by a car outside her school.

She ended up with no broken bones, but the car, which was trying to make a quick turn, hit her right on her bad knee and her recovering ankle bared the brunt of the fall.

“It’s seriously the worst timing and luck,” Chung said. “But I’m really thankful to be alive.”

She watched from the bench Thursday as fourth-seeded Francis Lewis defeated No. 5 Bronx Science in the PSAL Class A quarterfinals. But she’s not sure if she’ll be able to attend the semifinal match against Stuyvesant 2 p.m. Saturday at York College because of a physical therapy appointment.

“I'm really crushed,” Chung said. “The second I got up from getting hit I was thinking, ‘I just got back. How could this happen to me?'”

Lewis coach Arnie Rosenbaum said he was impressed with Chung’s desire to come back from both injuries. She knew she’d have pain in her knee the rest of the season, but wanted to fight through it. She could have easily quit, Rosenbaum said, but instead she was back working out with the team last Monday and setting to hitters a day later before the accident happened Wednesday.

“It’s unbelievable, especially it being her senior year,” Rosenbaum said. “She kept trying to come back. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to play. After the ankle she could have said, that’s it. … You feel bad for a four-year player. This was her year to shine.”

Stacy Paickattu, a junior, has taken the reins as setter and done a solid job. It took time, but Lewis is playing better now, hitters like Ragina Anthony and Lisa Camargo are meshing with their new setter.

It was supposed to be Chung’s spot, but she won’t let all the bad luck get her down. She’s determined to play volleyball in college in some manner, whether it be NCAA or club level.

“Everything happens for a reason right?” Chung said. “So maybe this will help me really stop from all athletic activity to rest my body correctly in a timely manner with physical therapy and stuff.”

Unexpected season for RKA: John Reingold knows all about the stages of a high school sports team. He’s the architect of Riverdale/Kingsbridge baseball, which won the PSAL Class B title in 2010 and moved up to the ‘A’ this past spring.

He’s having similar success with the Tigers girls volleyball season this year – a bit unexpectedly.

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