Connetquot's championship caravan delivers volleyball rings
Members of the Connetquot High School state champion girls volleyball team traveled to teammates' homes to give them their championship rings on May 13, 2020. Credit: Newsday/Gregg Sarra
A long caravan turned the corner and stopped right in front of Karly Colletti’s house in Ronkonkoma late Wednesday afternoon. The sophomore defensive specialist, who also plays libero, for the state Class AA girls volleyball champions from Connetquot, was sound asleep.
The cars caused quite the traffic jam on the small side street, each of the vehicles carrying championship messages scrawled across the windows and back windshields.
This was the Connetquot girls volleyball team with alumni, extended family and fans celebrating the school’s third state Class AA title in the last five years.
This was the championship ring ceremony, played out in front of every player’s house, following the social distancing rules.
Colletti was about to get a nice surprise.
"I was taking a nap and my sister Krystina woke me and asked me to come outside and help her out with something,” Colletti said. “I walked out my front door and I was so surprised. All of the seniors and their parents and some friends were at the end of my driveway holding signs and balloons and beeping horns. And then coach [Justin] Hertz came over and handed me my championship ring. It was so awesome, I loved everything about it. I was just so happy to see all my teammates.”
Karly Colletti received her state championship ring from members of the Connetquot High School girls volleyball team as they traveled to teammates' homes to celebrate on May 13, 2020. Credit: Newsday/Gregg Sarra
Colletti was surrounded by her five senior teammates, all holding championship signs, as she rocked her new ring.
"We came out for two days to recognize every player on our team that helped us earn the state championship,” said Hertz, who helped coordinate the two days of drive-by celebrations. “The seniors were awarded their rings by alumni the day before. And then we had the seniors present the underclassmen with their rings. It was fun.”
As Hertz shot photos from the street, others blared their horns, ready to ride to the next stop at junior Katie Hickey’s home.
"Some of the athletes are getting really creative and this is another example of people doing the right thing,” said Tom Combs, the executive director of Section XI, the governing body of Suffolk athletics. “I like the way they followed the social distancing rules and still made it a special moment for each of the players. It was nicely done."
Karly Colletti shows her her state championship ring as a member of the Connetquot High School girls volleyball team on May 13, 2020. Credit: Newsday/Gregg Sarra
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
