Nassau Girls Volleyball Playoff Preview
Class AA
1. Massapequa- The 11-time defending champs have not lost a set this season and are the runaway favorites to make it 12 straight. Erin Bies, Lauren Van Buren and Heather Sweeney are among the county's top players.
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Class AA
1. Massapequa- The 11-time defending champs have not lost a set this season and are the runaway favorites to make it 12 straight. Erin Bies, Lauren Van Buren and Heather Sweeney are among the county's top players.
2. Hicksville- Lost their last two regular season games... not a good omen.
3. Farmingdale- Riding a three-game winning streak, they have a great shot of advancing to the final against Massapequa.
4. East Meadow- A 6-6 team... quarterfinal match against Baldwin should be a good one.
5. Baldwin- Preseason, some coaches pegged them as the second-best team. Despite a 4-8 regular season, they split two regular season games with East Meadow.
6. Syosset- Lost in four sets both times to quarterfinal opponent Farmingdale. They should make things competitive.
7. Port Washington- Went 2-10 in their first season in Conference AA-I.
8. MacArthur- 12-0 in Conference AA-II, they are rewarded with a quarterfinal match against Massapequa. Not much of a reward.
In Class A, the first-round matches have been played, and the top-eight seeds prevailed.
Tuesdays quarterfinal matches are as followed:
No. 1 Wantagh vs. No. 8 Roslyn- The defending Long Island champion Warriors, led by Jenny Illibassi, Lauren Pennino and Carly Simeone, are undefeated and the favorites to win Nassau for a third straight year.
No. 2 South Side vs. No. 7 Long Beach- South Side should win in four, although it's a minor miracle that Long Beach, plagued all season by injuries, has made it this far.
No. 3 Bellmore JFK vs. No. 6 Herricks- JFK reloads year after year... don't be surprised if they advance to the final against Wantagh.
No. 4 Manhasset vs. No. 5 Garden City- Manhasset survived a five-set scare from No. 13 Bethpage in the opening round. In their first season since moving from Class B, they have proven that they belong with the top teams. They split a pair of four-set matches with GC during the regular season.
Class B
Undefeated No. 1 Seaford (14-0) is the clear favorite, while No. 2 Mineola (10-4) and No. 3 Floral Park are both capable of putting a scare into the top seed.
Class C
Look for East Rockaway to reclaim the crown from last year's champion, Carle Place.