Girls Volleyball: Tuckers returning to playoffs for 12th straight year
Here is a familiar scenario: The Mattituck High School girls volleyball team is heading back to the playoffs.
What else is new?
The Tuckers, who have reached the playoffs every year since 2004, kept that impressive string alive Monday with a playoff-clinching victory at Babylon High School. Carly Doorhy, the senior setter who is the only four-year varsity player Frank Massa has coached in his 29 years at the helm, had 19 assists as the Tuckers triumphed, 25-21, 25-18, 27-25.
Kathryn Zaloom, a sophomore outside hitter, played a critical role with her hitting and serving. After the Tuckers (10-2, 6-2 Suffolk County League VII) fell behind, 11-6, in the second game, Zaloom stepped to the service line and helped her team run off 13 straight points.
Babylon (5-4, 4-3) held a 24-22 lead in the third game. A service ace by Mattituck’s Meghan McKillop tied the score at 24-24. The teams then exchanged a dink by Babylon’s Margot Zamet and a kill by Mattituck’s Dawn Rochon to even things at 25-25. But the defending Long Island Class C champion Tuckers surged to the victory with a dink by Madison Osler and a match-ending ace by Zaloom.
Zaloom went 21 of 21 serving with three aces. She also finished with eight kills.
Zamet collected 9 kills, 4 dinks, 3 aces and 3 blocks. Jill Gaare had 15 assists for the Panthers, who lost to Mattituck in the past two Suffolk Class C finals.
Both teams served well, particularly the Tuckers, who put 96.1 percent of their serves in play, committing only three service errors.
It was Mattituck’s second win over Babylon this season. The Tuckers topped the Panthers in four games on Sept. 11.
