Ryan Sguigna powers Connetquot boys volleyball in a five-set thriller to win Suffolk Division I title
Connetquot poses for a photo after defeating Sachem North during the Suffolk Division I boys volleyball championship on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Bay Shore. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
Connetquot’s lineup is as well-balanced as it has ever been. That depth came through when it mattered most.
Ryan Sguigna, Keegan Grippo, Bobby Plante and Connor Gibbons all picked up crucial kills in the fifth set of top-seeded Connetquot’s 24-26, 25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 15-9 win over No. 2 Sachem North in the Suffolk boys volleyball Division I final Friday night at Bay Shore.
Sguigna had 17 kills, a block and an ace to lead Connetquot to its second consecutive county title.
“It’s just allowed me to trust more people, especially the new guys who have new positions,” Sguigna said. “Our libero, Collin Hendry, I’ve built so much trust with him this season. Trusting all these new young guys and showing them that you can trust your teammates, it’s just how we play. It’s our brand.”
Connetquot (14-1) advances to the pool play round of the state tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College, near Rochester.
Junior Tyler Cope, who has served as Connetquot’s libero since his eighth-grade season, made the move to outside hitter opposite Sguigna this season. He’s been a part of plenty of five-set wins, including in last year’s county final.
So when Sachem North won the fourth set to force the fifth, there was no panic from Cope or his teammates.
“At practice, we’re huge on, ‘What are you going to do after everything goes wrong?’” Cope said. “We knew we could come back. We did it two sets earlier when we lost the first. We just had no negativity.”
Cope’s background as a libero has been a major asset on the outside, especially when facing a premier hitter like Sachem North’s Teagan Savas. The added defensive prowess has benefited Connetquot’s serve reception immensely.
Savas had 36 kills, an ace and a block for Sachem North (15-2).
“Sachem North played amazing,” Connetquot coach Jess Perry said. “Teagan is phenomenal. Their defense was insane and some of those rallies went on for a very long time. I’m unbelievably proud of how we responded after the fourth set.”
Gibbons had 11 kills, Grippo had nine kills and two aces, Cope had nine kills and one ace and Plante had seven kills for Connetquot, which has won three county titles in the last five years.
“Ever since I got pulled up, we’ve been talking about how we want a dynasty,” Cope said. “Sachem North has had their own dynasty. If you look at the 2010s, they did a ton of winning. We had a goal to build that here. We want people to know that Connetquot is the volleyball school.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
