Mia Cergol helps Glenn get its Suffolk Class B title back
Glenn's Mia Cergol, center, leads the team's celebration after beating Mattituck in the Suffolk Class B final at SCCC-Brentwood on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Credit: Richard T. Slattery
Mia Cergol didn’t need many words to summarize the end of last season.
“It was weird,” said Cergol, a setter and right side hitter for the Glenn girls volleyball team.
The Knights fell to Bayport-Blue Point in the county championship, failing to win the title for the first time since 1999. Now, they’re back on top thanks to Cergol’s 18 kills, 17 digs and 16 assists.
Top-seeded Glenn swept second-seeded Mattituck in the Suffolk Class B championship, 25-20, 25-19, 25-22, on Thursday night at SCCC-Brentwood, earning the program’s 17th county title in 18 years.
Glenn (13-1) plays Wheatley on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at SCCC-Brentwood in the Long Island Class B final.
“We wanted it back,” said Caroline Garretson, who had 13 kills. “The county title’s ours.”
Glenn faced a stiff test in Mattituck (13-4), playing in the first Class B final in program history, according to coach Frank Massa.
Each time Glenn built a lead, Mattituck chipped away. An 18-8 lead in the first set was cut to as little as three at 23-20.
Early in the second set, the sides traded points until Glenn used a 10-0 run to separate itself. In the third set, Glenn led 16-10 but Mattituck tied the set at 17.
The Tuckers rallied behind the play of outside hitter Madison Osler (17 kills), but serve receives and the inability to transition into offense were critical.
“After the first set when we let them come back up to us, we knew we couldn’t let that happen again,” Garretson said. “We just pushed through it.”
Cergol frequently found Garretson in the middle when she wasn’t getting kills of her own. Mia Sansonelli, Caroline Miller and Jennifer Breneisen, the team’s lone senior, also pitched in on offense. Cassidy Evans (38 digs) was a calming presence defensively.
Together, they brought a title back to Glenn.
