Newsday's top 50 Long Island boys volleyball players to begin the 2026 season
From left: TJ D'Antonio, Nicholas Eng, Tyler Cope.
Newsday's annual list of the top 50 Long Island high school boys volleyball players to start the 2026 season, listed in alphabetical order. All stats listed are from last season, unless otherwise noted.
Malachi Appiah, Half Hollow Hills, OH, Sr.
He had 149 kills and possesses excellent blocking skills.
Brayden Bannen, East Islip, OH, Sr.
He had 205 kills, 149 digs and 23 aces and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island second team.
Alec Bloch, Calhoun, OH, Sr.
He had 230 kills, 118 digs, 33 aces and 22 blocks.
Jack Bradley, South Side, S, Jr.
He recorded more than 350 assists in a two-setter system. He will become the Cyclones’ primary setter this season.
Tyler Cope, Connetquot, L, Jr.
He had 256 digs, 57 assists and 21 aces to lead Connetquot to the Suffolk Division I title and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island first team.
TJ D’Antonio, Connetquot, S, Sr.
He had 596 assists, 126 digs and 19 aces.
Nicholas Eng, Roslyn, S, Sr.
He had 750 assists, 111 digs and 13 aces to help Roslyn claim its second straight Nassau Division II title.
Alex Fischetti, Massapequa, OH, Sr.
He had 109 kills, 24 blocks, 17 aces and 119 digs. He will become more involved on the outside.
Mason Gatchalian, Eastport-South Manor, OH, Sr.
He had 63 kills and 39 blocks from the middle to help the Sharks reach a second straight Division II state final. He will take on a larger role on the outside.
Clockwise, from top left: Mason Gatchalian, Alex Fischetti, Jacob Halpern, Maddox Imhoff.
Guna Gayam, Ward Melville, M/RS, Sr.
He had 52 kills and 56 blocks. At 6-6, he is a presence in the middle and on the outside.
Christian Gordon, Ward Melville, OH, Sr.
He had 112 kills, 13 blocks, 56 digs, six aces and two assists.
Jacob Halpern, West Islip, S, Sr.
The three-year starter had 650 assists, 114 digs and 31 blocks to help the Lions to the Suffolk Division II final.
Derek Hansen, Sachem East, OPP, Soph.
At 6-8, his size and power are remarkable. He had 159 kills, 24 aces and 20 blocks and earned Suffolk Rookie of the Year honors.
Lucas Hilbert, East Islip, M, Sr.
He had 71 kills, 47 blocks and 16 digs and is expected to become one of East Islip’s leaders.
James Huber, Bay Shore, S, Sr.
He had 516 assists, 104 digs, 48 kills, 31 blocks and 28 aces and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island second team.
Maddox Imhoff, Bay Shore, L, Sr.
He had 232 digs, 37 assists and 15 aces to anchor Bay Shore’s run to the Suffolk Division I final.
Bowie Joergens, Great Neck South, S, Jr.
He is a versatile lefty who can swing from the front row and has great command of the court.
Jon Kim, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, S/RS, Sr.
He had 87 kills, 20 blocks, 97 digs and 19 aces. He will become the Hawks’ primary setter.
Joseph Kim, Roslyn, OH, Sr.
The Newsday All-Long Island first team selection totaled 292 kills, 26 blocks, 25 assists, 141 digs and 30 aces.
Bryan Kuhl, Sachem North, S, Sr.
A four-year starter, the Newsday All-Long Island second team selection had 502 assists, 33 kills, 21 aces and 87 digs.
Memphis Lanier, Eastport-South Manor, S, Sr.
He had 532 assists, 78 digs and nine aces.
Joseph Kim, left, and Memphis Lanier.
Brian Lanzone, Floral Park, OH, Sr.
He had 362 kills, 24 blocks, 66 digs and 47 aces.
Ryin Lok, New Hyde Park, L, Sr.
He had 361 digs, 59 assists and 40 aces to help the Gladiators to their first Nassau Division II final appearance.
Landon Luttrell, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, OH, Sr.
He had 168 kills, 17 blocks, 86 digs and 19 aces. He will become the focal point of the Hawks’ offense.
Justin Lui, Herricks, S/OPP, Sr.
He had 383 assists, 159 kills, 94 digs, 43 blocks and 25 aces.
Stephen Lyu, Jericho, MB, Sr.
He is an excellent blocker with a powerful swing in the middle.
Liam Mischler, Ward Melville, OH, Jr.
He had 182 kills, 21 blocks, 102 digs, 16 aces and 11 assists. The 6-6 hitter is set to take on an even larger role in the Patriots’ offense.
Ben Morreale, Sachem North, L/S, Sr.
He had 107 digs, 99 kills, 44 assists and 15 aces as a setter and opposite hitter. He will take over as Sachem North’s libero.
Dominick Nuzzo, Patchogue-Medford, OH, Jr.
He had 91 kills, 15 blocks and 11 aces. After a stellar offseason, Nuzzo projects to be one of the top hitters in Suffolk.
Andre Ocava, Valley Stream Central, L, Sr.
He totaled 360 digs, 65 aces and 53 assists.
Michael Pennisi, Smithtown East, OH, Sr.
The 6-4 standout had 227 kills, 109 digs and 46 blocks.
Anthony Posanti, West Islip, OPP, Sr.
The 6-3 lefty will become the focal point of the Lions’ offense. He had 92 kills and 36 blocks.
Khalid Rashid, Herricks, MB, Sr.
He had 180 kills and 77 blocks from the middle.
Liam Reese, Sayville, L, Jr.
He had 226 digs, 35 kills, 21 assists and 16 aces.
Leo Rodriguez, Valley Stream South, OH, Sr.
He had 224 kills, 299 digs, 46 aces and 28 assists.
Gavin Sack, Sayville, OH, Jr.
He had 279 kills, 47 blocks, 40 aces and 70 digs and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island second team.
AJ Salducco, Patchogue-Medford, OH, Jr.
He had 138 kills, 138 digs, 23 blocks and 20 aces.
Avery Sarmiento, Levittown District, S, Jr.
He had 763 assists, 48 aces, 72 digs, 16 blocks and 10 kills.
Teagan Savas, Sachem North, OH, Sr.
He had 274 kills, 23 aces, 108 digs and 11 blocks.
James Schneider, Patchogue-Medford, M, Sr.
He had 90 kills, 33 blocks and seven aces.
Grayden Scott, Westhampton, S, Sr.
He is a composed setter who had 224 assists, 65 digs and 11 aces.
Corey Shakur Jr., Lawrence, OH, Sr.
Lawrence’s lone returning starter had 295 kills. The powerful 6-4 hitter will be focal point of the Golden Tornadoes’ offense.
Ryan Squigna, Connetquot, OH, Sr.
He had 187 kills, 25 blocks and 20 aces and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island second team.
Zenoven Stewart, Whitman, RS, Sr.
In limited playing time due to an injury, he had 43 kills, nine blocks and 44 digs. He won the Suffolk Rookie of the Year award as a sophomore.
Yubo Sun, Roslyn, MB, Sr.
He had 124 kills and 30 blocks and will take on a larger role in the middle.
Aaron Torres, East Hampton, OH, Sr.
The high-flyer had had 169 kills.
Joseph Trotta, Massapequa, MB, Jr.
He had 68 kills and 31 blocks in a limited role. He will take over in the middle for the reigning Division I state champs.
From left: Joseph Trotta, Braeden Vetro, Yubo Sun.
Braeden Vetro, Massapequa, L, Sr.
He had 222 digs, 49 assists and nine aces and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island second team.
Tanner Wissmann, Bay Shore, OH/OPP, Sr.
He had 52 kills and 46 blocks from the middle and will move to the outside.
Ian Yegidis, Calhoun, L, Sr.
He had 344 digs, 28 assists and 16 aces.
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
