The Massapequa Boys Varsity Volleyball team was the only team from the Massapequa fall season to finally make it off the island to go to the state championship. However, this Long Island championship was not a product of just one game; months of preparation and practice made this journey to States possible.
The volleyball season is approximately three months long. The boys’ season started the last week of August, beginning with two sessions a day for tryouts in the uncomfortable hot weather. Their motivation and hard work started right from day one.
Senior captains Chris Husmann, Christian Smith, and junior captain Steve Woessner were able to lead the team throughout the season with their explosive presence on the court. Middle hitters Husmann and Woessner contributed with multiple kills every game along with Smith’s assists from the setter’s position.
“It was a great experience being a captain and it wasn’t just one two or 3 leaders on the team,” Husmann said. “It was everyone having the need and want to win that brought us to states.”
The boys finished their regular season undefeated and were certainly ready to bring the same power into the postseason. The boys won the Nassau County Championship against Port Washington, their third consecutive county championship. Next was the Long Island Championship, which they have never won before.
“Our mindset was to prove a point that Nassau isn’t a joke, and be the first team to represent Nassau in the state finals,” Husmann said.
They certainly did not change anything about their game. The Chiefs came out on fire against the Suffolk County champs, the Lindenhurst Bulldogs. Nothing could stop the Chiefs as they won with a score of 3-0 and were the Long Island Champions for the first time. Finishing with a perfect season, the boys headed up to the New York State Championship the next weekend.
The team remained confident as there was nothing to lose. They went 4-2 in the round-robin style tournament and made it to the New York State final against McQuaid Jesuit High School. The Chiefs were unable to win this game, coming in second in New York State. This was certainly not a disappointment; it was an accomplishment that the boys have worked the entire season for.
When asked about the team’s chemistry, Husmann said, “Our team chemistry is amazing, probably the best in Long Island because on and off the court we were all friends and all equals…no one was better than anyone else and we hung out every weekend.”
Team unity had certainly helped the team come this long way on the journey to states. The entire season was a memorable one with lots of great accomplishments.