Girls volleyball weekly roundup: Playoff seeding explained, notable playoff results

Newsday’s Kenny DeJohn recaps the week of Long Island girls volleyball, starting with an explanation of how playoff seeds are chosen in Nassau and Suffolk and finishing with notable playoff results from the past week.

All records and results are current as of Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m.

Spelling out seeding

There was some confusion in the Long Island girls volleyball community when playoff seedings were released after the regular season concluded.

Nassau (Section VIII), has a very simple process for choosing seeds, according to Section VIII girls volleyball coordinator Cathleen Dnyprowski. At the end of each season, she said, coaches fill out surveys about the teams they competed against, allowing the committee to create preseason rankings that are ability based.

With these ability-based conferences comes a straightforward method of seeding playoff teams, according to Dnyprowski. All five teams in AA-I make the postseason and are seeded Nos. 1-5, based on their records during the seasons. The teams with the top two records in AA-II are seeded Nos. 6-7, while the best AA-III team is No. 8.

In Class A, the seven teams in A-I are seeded in the order they finish. The best teams from A-II are seeded Nos. 8-13, while A-III’s top teams are Nos. 14-15. The winner of A-IV is No. 16.

Dnyprowski said this system creates very few upsets, as long as the preseason seeding was done accurately.

In Suffolk (Section XI), much is left to the jurisdiction of a selection committee. According to SectionXI.org: “Sport chairmen shall consult with league representatives in order to provide the Seeding Committee with information which may be helpful for seeding team tournaments. Coaches’ representatives may make known to sport chairmen (prior to the seeding meeting) which teams are considered by the coaches to be the strongest teams in the tournament.”

The only teams considered are ones that finished .500 or better in league play.

More on how the committee determine seeding can be read on the Section XI website.

Notable playoff results

• Vickie Venus had eight kills and six blocks, as No. 3 Mineola defeated No. 14 Elmont, 3-0, in the first round of the Nassau A playoffs. This is a game of note because of Elmont’s historic season, as the Spartans captured a conference title for the first time since 2001, finishing 13-2 this fall.
• Molly Jandris continued her powerhouse season, tallying 18 kills and three blocks as No. 5 Sachem East outlasted No. 12 Bay Shore, 3-2, in the first round of the Suffolk AA playoffs. The Flaming Arrows won the first two sets before the Marauders stormed back to earn the next two. Sachem East prevailed with a dominant showing in the fifth set, 25-7.
• Sydnie Rohme had 23 kills and 13 digs, leading No. 3 Northport over No. 14 Half Hollow Hills East, 3-1, in the first round of the Suffolk AA playoffs. Kelly McLaughlin had 28 assists, Katie Kullack had 16 digs and Shannon Leone had six blocks.
• Kings Park earned an upset win as far as seeding is concerned. The fifth-seeded Kingsmen defeated No. 4 Islip, 3-0, behind Lauren Weir’s 12 kills and three aces. Carly Estherson had 31 assists and seven aces. Kings Park gets No. 1 East Hampton, which had a bye, in the Suffolk Class A semifinals.

Newsday’s Top 10

Long Beach (Last week: 1)

Commack (2)

Glenn (5)

Northport (4)

Sacred Heart (5)

Smithtown West (10)

St. Anthony’s (6)

South Side (7)

Connetquot (9)

Wantagh (unranked)

On the cusp (in alphabetical order): Bayport-Blue Point, East Hampton, Eastport-South Manor, Kings Park

Upcoming playoff schedule

• Thursday, Nov. 1 — Nassau Class C semifinal: (2) Oyster Bay vs. (3) Carle Place, 5 p.m., Great Neck South High School
• Friday, Nov. 2 — Nassau Class AA semifinals at Manhasset High School: (3) Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK vs. (2) Massapequa, 5 p.m.; (1) Long Beach vs. (4) Syosset, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 2 — Suffolk Class B semifinals at higher seeds: (4) Shoreham-Wading River vs. (1) Glenn, 4 p.m.; (3) Center Moriches vs. (2) Bayport-Blue Point, 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 3 — Nassau Class B semifinals at Great Neck South High School: (1) Wheatley vs. (4) Cold Spring Harbor, 4 p.m.; (2) Seaford vs. (3) Island Trees, 6 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5 — Nassau Class A semifinals at Island Trees High School: Teams TBD.
• Monday, Nov. 5 — Suffolk Class A semifinals at higher seeds: (5) Kings Park vs. (1) East Hampton, 4 p.m.; (3) Eastport-South Manor vs. (2) Westhampton, 4 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 5 — Suffolk Class C final: (1) Mattituck vs. (2) Pierson, 4 p.m., Shoreham-Wading River High School
• Tuesday, Nov. 6 — Nassau Class AA finals at Farmingdale State, 8 p.m.: Teams TBD
• Tuesday, Nov. 6 — Nassau Class C finals at Farmingdale State, 6 p.m., TBD
• Tuesday, Nov. 6 — Suffolk Class AA semifinals at higher seeds: Teams TBD
• Tuesday, Nov. 6 — CHSAA Championship, 7 p.m., St. Dominic: Teams TBD