Newsday's top 50 girls volleyball players for 2023
From left, Seaford's Carey-Jean Block, Syosset's Kelsey Jung and Seaford's Sarah Lochner.
Kate Barba, Huntington, OH, Sr.
Barba had 115 kills last season, and broke the school record for kills in a single match this season with 29 against Centereach.
Keira Birk, South Side, S/RS, Sr.
Birk had 150 assists, 70 digs, 70 kills and 22 aces a season ago to help the Cyclones make an appearance in the Nassau Class A final.
Carey-Jean Block, Seaford, OH, Jr.
Block had 257 digs, 193 kills, 50 aces and 10 blocks for the Class B Long Island champions.
Emma Bradshaw, Ward Melville, MB, Jr.
Bradshaw is a four-year varsity player who led the Patriots in aces and blocks last season.
Karson Catalanotto, Smithtown East, OH, Sr.
Catalanotto averaged 10 kills and 16 digs per match last season.
Lily Coan, Sayville, S, Sr.
Coan had 746 assists, 194 digs and 80 aces a season ago for the Suffolk Class A champions.
Kaitlin Curran, Commack, OH, Jr.
Curran averaged 11 digs and three aces per match last fall. The junior will move to outside hitter this season.
Mackenzie DelaRaba, Sachem North, MB/RS, Jr.
A versatile player who leads Sachem North in kills, aces and blocks this season.
Ava DiFeo, North Shore, MB, Sr.
DiFeo had 137 kills, 54 blocks and 34 aces as North Shore finished as the Nassau Class B runner-up last fall.
Carly Elfenbein, Massapequa, MB, Sr.
The senior is part of strong returning core and will be a big factor in Massapequa’s quest for back-to-back Long Island championships.
Peyton Elward, Harborfields MH, Jr.
At 6-1, Elward is an imposing force who possesses massive power around the net.
Erin Henry, Port Jefferson, OH, Sr.
Henry had 227 kills and 190 digs for the Long Island Class C champions last season.
Ainsley Hololob, Longwood, RS, Sr.
Hololob had 90 kills and 59 blocks for the Suffolk III champions a season ago.
Julia Hromada, Center Moriches, S, Sr.
Hromada had 402 assists, 132 digs and 32 aces a season ago.
Sarah Idler, Eastport-South Manor, OH, Sr.
Idler impressed last fall with over 340 kills, and had 22 in a win over East Islip earlier this month.
Kelsey Jung, Syosset, DS, Sr.
Jung had 102 digs and 29 aces last season for the Nassau Class AA runner-up.
Ella Katz, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, L, Sr.
A leader on the court for the Hawks, Katz had 217 digs, 39 assists and 20 aces last season.
Meghan Kehoe, Kings Park, MH, Sr.
Kehoe will be a focal point of Kings Park's offensive attack this season.
Caitlin Kenney, Mineola, MH, Sr.
Kenney had 169 kills, 79 digs, 42 blocks and 12 aces a season ago.
Maya Khan, Commack, OH, Sr.
A versatile player who averaged 11 kills and four aces per match last fall.
Elle Lang, St. Anthony’s, RS, Sr.
Lang had 10 kills in St. Anthony’s win over Kellenberg in the CHSAA championship last season.
Hayley Lipinski, Long Beach, S, Jr.
A strong all-around player who possess great hands and a keen ability to set up teammates.
Sarah Lochner, Seaford, MH, Sr.
The four-year starter had 172 kills, 31 digs, 27 blocks and 25 aces a season ago.
Clockwise from left, Renee McGowan of Bayport-Blue Point, Grace Miller and Gianna Lucchi of Calhoun.
Gianna Lucci, Calhoun, S, Sr.
Lucci had a 30-assist performance against Sayville in the Class A Long Island championship.
Samantha Madigan, Sachem East, S, Jr.
A multi-faceted player who sets her teammates up with ease. Madigan had 127 assists, 14 aces and 11 blocks last season.
Keira McCaffrey, Mineola, MH, Sr.
McCaffrey had 231 kills, 157 digs, 51 blocks and 34 aces last season.
Renee McGowan, Bayport-Blue Point, L/DS, Sr.
A standout defensive player who was vital to the Phantoms' Class B county title last season.
Grace Miller, Calhoun, OH, Sr.
A key contributor to Calhoun’s Class A state championship. Miller had over 200 kills last season.
Alyanna Nadal, Valley Stream North, L, Sr.
Nadal averaged 21 digs per match a season ago as a key contributor for the Nassau A-II champions.
Melissa O’Connor, Hauppauge, S, Sr.
O’Connor is a key component of Hauppauge’s offense, totaling 453 assists last year.
Megan Ortiz, Elmont, OH, Sr.
Ortiz had over 250 kills last year as Elmont went undefeated in league play.
Ellie Pamatat, Garden City, S/OH, Sr.
The fifth-year starter had 214 kills, 134 digs, 116 assists, 40 aces and 14 blocks a season ago.
Zoe Pando, Glenn, OH, Sr.
Pando had 202 digs, 105 kills, 35 aces and six blocks last season.
Asha Pensa-Johnson, Hampton Bays, MB, Jr.
Pensa-Johnson had 288 kills and 72 blocks last season as Hampton Bays made an appearance in the Suffolk Class B final.
Isabella Perrone, Longwood, MH, Sr.
She was an All-Suffolk selection and the League III Defensive Player of the Year.
Sayville's Morgan Reese, left, and Massapequa's Allison Petrullo.
Allison Petrullo, Massapequa, S, Sr.
Petrullo was a key piece to Massapequa’s success last fall and will be instrumental to the offense this season.
Dani Probst, Whitman, L, Sr.
Probst had 279 digs, 32 aces and was named the Suffolk League I Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Tania Quiros, Hampton Bays, OH, Sr.
Quiros had 226 digs, 209 kills and 44 aces a season ago.
Samantha Raikos, Mepham, OH, Sr.
Raikos finished last season with 135 kills, 65 blocks and 15 aces for the Pirates.
Morgan Reese, Sayville, OH, Sr.
The 2022 Newsday Player of the Year had 454 kills, including 30 in the Suffolk A final against Half Hollow Hills West last season.
Wantagh’s Sadie Reich, left, and South Side's Sofia Vargas.
Sadie Reich, Wantagh, OH, Jr.
Reich is a two-time All-Long Island selection. She had 314 kills, 203 digs, 38 aces and 26 blocks a season ago.
Bianca Sapano, Kellenberg, S, Jr.
Sapano had 90 kills, 54 digs and 11 aces last fall. This year she moves to the setter position.
Ava Seidenstein, Sacred Heart, S/RS, Sr.
Seidenstein is a sure-handed facilitator who also possesses power near the net.
Olivia Sherman, Port Jefferson, OH, Sr.
A hard hitter who forms a strong duo on the outside with Erin Henry,
Alison Tsororos, Hauppauge, OH, Sr.
Tsororos had 164 kills, 43 digs and five aces a season ago for the Eagles.
Thalia Urso, St. Anthony’s, S, Sr.
A skilled left-hander who will be a crucial piece to St. Anthony’s CHSAA title defense.
Sofia Vargas, South Side, OH, Sr
Vargas tallied 120 kills, 90 digs and 20 aces a season ago.
Leslie Wandmacher, Bay Shore, OH/M, Sr.
Wandmacher had 71 kills, 31 blocks and 16 digs last season. She is transitioning to outside hitter this season.
Emma Watts, Northport, OS, Sr.
Watts led Northport in kills a season ago. The senior had 25 kills in a match against Lindenhurst earlier this season.
Mary Wolcott, Half Hollow Hills West, S/RS, Jr.
Wolcott had 286 assists, 151 kills, 81 aces, 40 digs and 30 blocks last season, leading Half Hollow Hills West to an appearance in the Suffolk A final.
Morgan Wolcott, Half Hollow Hills West, OH, Soph.
The younger Wolcott had 116 kills, 69 digs and 22 aces last season for the League V champions.
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.
