Mattituck gives it its all during state pool play

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Resiliency defines the Mattituck girls volleyball team.

Regardless of the score, opponent or previous state championship history, the Tuckers weren’t prepared to give any team an easy 25 points.

It wasn’t about the wins or losses generated during pool play at Saturday’s girls volleyball Class C state championships at Cool Insuring Arena, but about the effort. And the Tuckers didn’t lack that.

Trailing Portville, 24-17, in the second set, the Tuckers climbed back to scare the defending state champions, ultimately dropping the set, 25-22. 

"That was probably the best set we've ever played up here," coach Frank Massa said of the state tournament. "They showed that we can play on that type of level."

When Mattituck fell behind 20-10 to Millbrook in the first set, the Tuckers pulled to within 20-15 before dropping the set, 25-16.

And in their most heartbreaking loss of the evening, a first-set loss against Voorheesville, 25-23, in which they led 23-16, the Tuckers kept fighting. They opened the final set trailing 5-0 and 10-4, but rallied to tie the score at 13 before falling, 25-21. The team got strong play from Viki Harkin and a gutsy effort from Jordan Osler. The libero showed her toughness by refusing to stay out of the game for long after injuring her pinkie. She had to have it wrapped and the pain in her face was evident on certain hits.

"It meant everything to me to stay out there and give it all I got," Osler said. "Some of the hits, like when I passed the ball, it's a sharp pain that goes through my hand. I just didn't want to disappoint my team. I wanted to go out there and give it everything I got because I know it's some of their last years and I didn't want them to be cut short."

She said the injury occurred when she dived to get a ball and someone stepped on her finger. "I'm not exactly sure what happened, but it hurts," she said. 

Despite finishing pool play winless and failing to advance to Sunday's state championship match, the fights within the individual sets is something that will stick with the Tuckers the most. 

Mattituck, which finished the season 16-2 and advanced upstate for the first time since 2015, was excited to be back at Glens Falls, despite entering the championships with a 1-29 career record in the state semifinals pool.

After spending the last two seasons in Class B, Mattituck has been working for the opportunity to improve that state pool record. And although falling short of that goal, the Tuckers will never forget the experience of returning to a championship environment.

For senior starters Jillian Gaffga, Rachel Janis and Emily McKillop along with Dominique Crews, Veronica Pugliese, Bayleigh Rienecker, Mikayla Osmer and Gabrielle Dwyer coming off the bench, the group of eight ended their high school tenures with a Suffolk C title and Long Island Class C championship.

And it may not take Mattituck long to return for another chance at a state championship, returning starters Miranda Hedges, Viki Harkin, Jordan Osler and Ashley Young along with contributors in Charlotte Keil, Rylie Skrezec, Hayden Kitz off the bench.

Mattituck lost its first two pools matchups to Portville, 25-10, 25-22, before falling to Millbrook, 25-16, 25-15.

"As much as it shows a lot of heart, we've got to learn how to get over that. We had three sets there that should have gone our way and didn't we weren't able to finish it off," Massa said. "Those are the things where more time, more practice, more arenas like this will help you."