Sayville couldn’t seem to shake Islip over the course of the third and fourth sets of the county final, but Khylee Boesch kept finding a way to keep her team in the driver’s seat.
No. 2 Sayville defeated No. 1 Islip, 12-25, 25-8, 25-24, 25-23, in the Suffolk Class A girls volleyball final at Suffolk Community College on Monday night. The win gave the Golden Flashes their second county title over the past three seasons.
“It was a game of perseverance and knowing that we’re capable of whatever we put our minds to,” Boesch said. “We always know that we’ll be able to come back if we drop a set.”
Sayville went on a 5-0 run to take a 21-17 lead in the third set, sparked by three kills from Boesch. Rilee Maha had two kills as Sayville scored four of the next seven to take the set.
“It’s all about resilience. We always try to stay one step ahead of our opponent,” Sayville coach Debra Urso said. “So, we had to stick with the game plan. We were prepared for what they would give us because they have great hitters, but we have some of the best hitters in the county.”
Jane Tierney had three straight kills for Islip to tie it at 16 in the fourth set. Maha’s kill and Madelyn Vitale’s ace gave Sayville a two-point lead at 19-17. Boesch had kills to score the final two points of the match for Sayville.
“Islip has great hitters and they were finding their spots,” outside hitter Jillian Livingston said. “We had to be gritty. Get balls up and just attack them.”
Sayville (14-1) will face the Nassau champion in the Class A Long Island championship at a date to be determined.
The Golden Flashes won their first Long Island title in program history in 2024 with a victory over South Side.
“I’m excited. We got to do this my sophomore year and made history,” Boesch said. “I’m ready to make even more history this time around.”
Islip (14-1) dominated the opening set, as Cali Addeo’s kill gave it a 25-12 win. Sayville responded with an even stronger…
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