Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Massapequa girls’ volleyball team came up just short, losing the Nassau Class AAA finals in five thrilling sets to Plainview Oct 13 at East Meadow High School.
In her sixth season as Massapequa coach, Amanda DelGiacco was proud of her team’s effort. “We were ready to play and gave it our all,” she said. “It just did not go our way.”
The Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 10-4. After beginning the year 2-2, they went 8-2 in their last 10 matches. “It was a very challenging year for us,” said DelGiacco. “We started the year slow and it took us some time to really figure things out.”
One of the reasons for the slow start was due to the youth Massapequa had on its roster. With only four seniors, there were many freshmen and sophomores who stepped into big roles. “Usually we tend to have more veteran-led rosters,” DelGiacco said. “But this season, we had a small senior class and it was not until almost halfway into the season where the light bulb turned on.”
DelGiacco said it was the match against Wantagh on Oct. 1 that really gave her players the confidence they were looking for. “We beat Wantagh in straight sets and that allowed the girls to believe in themselves,” she said. “The talent was there the entire time.”
Some of the key contributors to the Chiefs included junior Kiera McEntee and sophomore Emily DeSetto. “Kiera did such a nice job in the middle for us,” said DelGiacco. “We sprinkled her in when others got hurt and cannot wait to see her continue to develop.” As for DeSetto, she certainly surprised her coaching staff. “Emily was not really on our radar when training camp began,” DelGiacco said. “She really impressed and earned herself some important playing time.”
Another important piece to the puzzle was freshman Lacey Petrullo. “She was so awesome as a defensive specialist for us,” said DelGiacco. “She did so much and as a freshman, she’s only going to get better.”
While the roster did not have many seniors on it, Kaylee Horigan, Shea Ringel, Mariah Morisi, and Micaela Gillis were the four playing in their last season with the program and made sure to control the leadership roles.
“They taught our younger players how to control the nerves,” said DelGiacco. “They have been a part of so many big games so they knew exactly how to handle those pressure filled situations.”
After the crushing county final defeat, DelGiacco made sure her players kept their heads high. “I told the girls to not think back and look at the mistakes,” she said. “Instead, think about how we taught and battled while playing our best until the very end.”
The future looks bright for the Massapequa, and DelGiacco is confident. “I want them to remember this feeling,” she said. “They know that now we want to go even further in the playoffs next time.”
