Smithtown East hosts Long Island's first outdoor high school volleyball game
Smithtown East's Brianna Cerullo goes up for the ball at a special outdoor volleyball game against Smithtown West on Monday. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
As volleyball season gets underway, the Smithtown community came together to bring something new to Long Island.
In what was billed as “the first outdoor volleyball match on Long Island," Smithtown East faced off against Smithtown West Monday night on a court built on Smithtown East’s football field.
“I was so excited when my coach told us about this,” Smithtown East’s Skyla Sullivan said. “It’s a good opportunity to get the community together and play the sport we love.”
The event was made possible with the help of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, a school just outside of Albany. The school allowed Smithtown East to borrow its outdoor court, setting the wheels in motion for the event.
"There had been talks about this for a few years, but to have the court here and stand on it is insane," Smithtown West’s Briella Fields said. “It’s not really East vs. West. It’s more of a community thing and we’re all here playing together."
The boys took the court first and the girls followed as Smithtown East took both matches in front of packed bleachers.
“I think volleyball is big in this community,” Smithtown East girls coach George Alamia said. “People embrace this sport and we’re going to keep making Smithtown a great place for volleyball.”
The idea of outdoor matches has gained steam in recent years. In 2023, Nebraska and Omaha faced off in an outdoor match in front of 92,003 fans. Watching that collegiate match made playing in Smithtown’s event feel even more special.
“I saw that Nebraska match, with all those fans and how special it looked,” Smithtown East’s Michael Pennisi said. “I was really happy that they were doing it here and that the boys were included.”
The interest in an event such as this isn’t exclusive to Smithtown. More outdoor matches in the coming years could certainly be a possibility.
“I’ve already had many coaches reach out to me,” Alamia said. “I could see this being a success in many communities.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
