Massapequa, Connetquot boys volleyball teams to face each other in state semifinals
Connetquot's T.J. D'Antonio, left, celebrates a point with Tyler Cope during a pool-play match against Scarsdale at the state boys volleyball championships on Saturday in Rochester. Credit: Adrian Kraus
ROCHESTER — Though they both made the trip upstate, the Massapequa and Connetquot boys volleyball teams are now in store for some Long Island competition.
Massapequa and Connetquot both advanced out of Division I pool play in the state tournament on Saturday at Roberts Wesleyan University, and will face each other in the semifinal round Sunday morning.
Massapequa remains perfect at 19-0 after going 5-1 to earn the top seed, dropping only one set, 17-25, to Clarence (Section VI).
“We really stuck to our game plan,” Massapequa coach Elissa DiSalvo said. “We don’t focus on what other teams are doing. We focus on our team, and we can excel to near-perfect when we do that.”
Second-seeded Connetquot went 4-2 in pool play, dropping both sets to reigning champion Penfield (Section V). The T-Birds are now 14-4.
“We started a little short with our serves,” Connetquot coach Jess Perry said. “I think it was just nerves, but we shook it off as the first two sets went on and finished the rest really well.”
Liam St. George was an anchor for Massapequa, contributing 16 kills and four blocks. The sophomore stepped up when right side hitter Christopher Sultana was sidelined with an injury before the Nassau Division I final, and St. George exceeded expectations.
“My teammates know that somebody will have their back if one of them can’t play,” St. George said. “We all trust each other so much so it feels great to step up and get that opportunity.”
Despite being so late in the season, DiSalvo said St. George’s impressive performance comes as no surprise.
“Nothing rattles him,” DiSalvo said. “He’s so steady, even-keeled, nothing bothers him. He’s really stepped up for us.”
Ryan Sguigna and Alex Molter led Connetquot with 18 kills apiece. TJ D’Antonio had 54 assists and Tyler Cope had 31 digs for the day. Perry said to play in the state tournament is always an honor.
“To be here means absolutely everything,” Perry said. “This is our dream. We hoped and prayed for this every single day. We worked really hard to get here.”
And St. George said the Long Island matchup could make it that much more electric.
“It’s really cool that we’ll get to play another Long Island team,” St. George said. “I think it’ll make the environment especially energetic. We’re going to focus on ourselves and our team and take it like we would any other game.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
