The Griffins are back on top of the Public League.
The Academy at Palumbo High School girls volleyball team recorded a three-set sweep of Central High School on Oct. 28 to win the Philadelphia Public League championship at Temple University’s McGonigle Hall.
It was the seventh PPL title for the Griffins and the second in the last three years.
“I’m so happy,” said senior middle hitter Kira Wilkerson. “Last year’s championship left me a little hurt but I’m so glad that my team pulled together. We’re such a great team and we’re very bonded. It’s just all love and we always have fun, even when we’re down, we know how to come back together.”
That trait was tested on a few occasions as the Griffins won, 25-22, 28-26 and 25-21 to take the 2026 PPL crown.
After pulling out a tight first set, where neither team led by more than three points, the Griffins were forced to dig deep in the second frame, trailing 19-14 and 23-20. Senior setter Nadia Hamza contributed three straight aces when the Griffins needed them most, tying the second set at 23-23. The teams traded shots before championship MVP Anna Bracali pushed across the decisive kill in a wild 28-26 frame.
“I just really trusted my team today,” said Bracali, a junior outside hitter. “I had a lot of confidence coming in, but I think I learned from last year that we shouldn’t be overconfident. We just had great energy and I was just trying to play smart and dominate the court.”
The Griffins jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the third set but Central took 14 of the next 21 points to seize a 16-13 lead. Palumbo dug deep, and with sophomore Cindy Wang on the service line, the Griffins went on a six-point run to swing ahead 19-16.
“This team has been really resilient all year,” Palumbo coach EJ Goldstein said. “And we just played off of that because there were teams this season that we were down 0-2 or 1-2 and we came back and won. They believe it doesn’t matter what the score is. We’re just going to keep battling one point at a time.”
The Griffins mechanically maneuvered toward the finish line, keeping a multi-point lead the rest of the way and finished off the 25-21 set to take the match in a clean three sets.
“I’m really proud of our team. We did really well,” said junior outside hitter Doruntina Selmi. “It was hard mentally because you never know with Central who is going to come out on top because we are both good schools with good players. I wasn’t trying to think about winning. I was just trying to help our team.”
Central and Palumbo have met in the Public League championship the last four years with each team winning twice.
“Honestly, I was more confident this year because we learned last year that it’s not always going to go your way,” Bracali said. “So you have to be ready for anything. That whole game, we were adjusting to what they were doing, like once they started picking up our tips short, we started tipping deep.”
The Griffins (18-2 record) will face Archbishop Ryan on Nov. 5 in the PIAA Class 5A District 12 championship. Palumbo defeated the Ragdolls in a five-set marathon match on Sept. 28. A truly special team will look to keep its magical season going into the state playoffs.
“The reality is, if it wasn’t for those who came before us, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Goldstein said. “People want to be part of something that’s a good environment and a welcoming and loving culture, but they also want to be part of a winning program. A lot of it is just getting better every day and being the best version of yourself.” ••
