Glenn, Mattituck, Kings Park, Connetquot eye girls state volleyball titles

Four Long Island girls volleyball teams have long roads ahead this weekend at the state championships at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Pool play for all teams is Saturday with the top two teams in each classification playing for the title on Sunday.

Glenn, representing Class B, is fresh off a 3-1 win over Seaford in the Long Island title match. Grace Cergol (24 digs, 22 kills) willed the Knights to victory, especially after Seaford made things interesting by forcing the Knights to play a fourth game.

Coach Kevin Harrington's Glenn teams have won 15 consecutive Long Island Class B titles -- every year since girls volleyball began playing during the fall season -- and last won the state title in 2012.

Cergol, a senior, is the leader of this overall strong group along with senior Alexis Groark, her running mate on the outside. Cergol's sister, Mia, a freshman, is an integral part of the attack as the setter, while junior Maggie McGuckin contributes big kills and consistent defense at the net.

The trip to the state tournament is not new for Groark and Grace Cergol (they've made it every year since they were freshmen), and their familiarity at this level should give Glenn a chance. Senior Camryn Ackley, the team's libero, has played strong defense on the back row for most of the season.

Consistency will be a key for Glenn. Against Seaford, Harrington thought his team played better in the first two games. "Games 1 and 2 we were using all of our hitters; we were running an offense,'' he said. "Games 3 and 4 we weren't using all of our hitters.''

In pool play, Glenn (13-0) will play Hudson Falls, Owego and Westhill.

Mattituck (17-4) is making its fifth trip in six years to Glens Falls under coach Frank Massa. The Tuckers defeated Wheatley in straight sets in the Class C championship.

Carly Doorhy is the only four-year starter Massa said he has coached in his 29 years at Mattituck, making her the unquestioned leader of an otherwise young team. Sophomore Kathryn Zaloom led the Tuckers in kills during the regular season. She had nine kills in the title match.

Madison Osler, another offensive contributor, had 11 kills against Wheatley and must show up in a big way in pool play, where the Tuckers will play Eden, Millbrook and Broadalbin Perth. Eden has won four consecutive Class C state titles.

Defense should keep the Tuckers competitive. Meghan McKillop, Phurlamu Sherpa and Allie Becker anchor a defense that stifled Wheatley.

Massa preaches the importance of a controlled first pass, making Mattituck's defense crucial to the overall outcome of each possession.

"When we start shanking balls left and right, then it's probably because we're getting lazy and not moving our feet,'' Massa said. "The whole key to our team is being able to get that first pass off.''

Doorhy, the setter, is capable of making athletic plays on less-than-ideal initial passes, but the offense runs efficiently when Doorhy can set her feet and deliver an accurate pass to Zaloom or Osler.

Kings Park (17-2) will represent Long Island in Class A after defeating Wantagh. An experienced squad led by Stephanie Cornwell, Jaclyn Wilton, Lauren Kloos and Lauren Kehoe will meet Williamsville East, Walter Panas and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in pool play.

After a win over defending Long Island champion Massapequa in the Class AA title match, Connetquot (19-0) is looking to ride its young core led by Mackenzie Cole, Nicole Migliozzi and Cassandra Patsos to a state title. The Thunderbirds will meet Clarence, Pine Bush and Shenendehowa in pool play.