Amanda Gannon unstoppable as Kings Park wins Suffolk Class A volleyball title
Kings Park's Amanda Gannon reacts after scoring a point on her serve againt Islip in the Suffolk Class A final volleyball game. (Nov. 6, 2013) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The chants for Amanda Gannon grew louder with each hit. The noise was coming from the Kings Park faithful.
A thunderous "Boom" with each kill and "You can't stop her" after each point were the sounds from the Kingsmen's Suffolk Class A girls volleyball championship match Wednesday at Bay Shore.
Gannon, a junior outside hitter, was an unstoppable force in Kings Park's third consecutive county title, a 25-11, 25-14, 25-14 victory over Islip.
"I could hear them over there. It's really great. Our crowd is what keeps us motivated and it makes you want to work harder," said Gannon, who had a match-high 13 kills, nine digs and three aces. "We talk about getting things done, like making that perfect pass, making that perfect set, and making that perfect kill."
Whether at the net, on the baseline or serving, Gannon had the match under control, something senior setter Kendall Corcoran has seen her teammate do numerous times.
"No matter where I put the ball, I know she's going to go up there and put the ball down," said Corcoran, who finished with 38 assists and recorded her 2,000th career assist. "It's so great. We just work so well together. I'm so unbelievably proud of what we accomplished. I can't wait to see what else my team can do."
The top-seeded Kingsmen (20-0) will try to make it a three-peat in Long Island championships when it plays the winner of South Side vs. Long Beach 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Joseph's (LI).
"I think our defense will be a key component moving forward," Kings Park outside hitter Joelle Goldstein said after her 11- dig, seven-kill performance. "When we're on our game, we're totally on our game."
No. 2 Islip (13-5), which finished second to the Kingsmen in League V, lost its third straight match to Kings Park this season, much to the chagrin of Buccaneers senior setter Mariah Tyler.
"Going up against them is always tough," Tyler said. "They've been playing together for so long. You got to give it to them. They're a great overall team."
Led by Gannon and Corcoran. "Those two play opposite each other, so we know we can score from the back row and the front row," said Kingsmen coach Elizabeth Manly, who has guided the Kingsmen to two consecutive third place state finishes. "It's always one or the other that can put it away."
