Mattituck sweeps Babylon to win Suffolk Class C girls volleyball title

After returning only one starter from last season’s squad, Mattituck girls volleyball coach Frank Massa made sure to keep his expectations for this year in check.

"I was just hoping we could put together a good season and be competitive," Massa said. "We didn’t have a ton of experience but right from the get-go we played well and it turned out to be a good season for us."

By season’s end, the Tuckers had gone far beyond simply competing.

Despite its youth and relative inexperience, No. 1 Mattituck put the finishing touches on a brilliant season at home on Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 2 Babylon in the Suffolk Class C final, 25-13, 25-18, 25-21.

"I thought things were going to be a little rough this year," said senior Ashley Young, who had 35 assists. "Getting used to everyone and having new positions for some people. But I think we dealt with it really well throughout the season."

Outside hitter Sage Foster, a sophomore, led the way with 25 kills and three aces. Bridget Ryan added eight kills and three aces.

Massa noted how Foster took tremendous strides following the 2019 season, which Foster attributed to one factor.

"I started to build confidence," Foster said. "Last season I didn’t have a lot of confidence because I was a freshman, but this year I was a lot closer to the girls and had a lot more confidence with them."

Young said it didn’t take long for the Tuckers to realize that Foster had taken her game to a new level.

"She was amazing from the first few practices," Young said. "We weren’t expecting her to hit like that, but this year she really stepped up to the plate and played amazingly."

"I think about halfway through the season we realized we had what it took to get to this point. In the beginning it was kind of rough toward the end we just got more comfortable with each other."