Sachem North caps unbeaten season with state volleyball championship

Friday was a day of firsts for Sachem North boys volleyball.

It marked the first time the Flaming Arrows played in a state tournament, the first time they took on the upstate schools that had dominated the competition and even the first time they dropped a set in 2014.

Unfazed by any of that, Sachem North became the first school from Suffolk to win the state championship.

Rob Steinberg had 47 assists and Dylan Missry had 36 kills to lead the Flaming Arrows over McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester), 3-1, in the NYSPHSAA Class A state championship match in Glens Falls. Sachem North won, 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18, becoming the second Long Island school to win a state boys volleyball tournament since the competition's inception in 2010 (Bellmore JFK won the Class B crown in 2012).

"This was honestly the best time of my life," said Steinberg, a senior setter who was named tournament MVP. "There's no way I'll forget this and there's nothing that will ever compare to this."

Missry, a senior outside hitter agreed. "It's unbelievable. It's just awesome," he said. "We worked together so well, this was the team to bring that state championship home. It's just a brotherhood. That's why we won."

The victory was extra special for coach Matt Rivera. "In my 11-year coaching career, I've never had a feeling like this," he said. "I'm just so happy and proud of these guys. It's really a special team."

Sachem North (18-0) started the championship as it had started every other match this season: by winning the first two sets. McQuaid Jesuit (21-1), which had won three of the last four state titles, responded by taking the third.

"We knew we just had to bounce back," Missry said. "You know with a team like McQuaid, with their size and experience, it was going to be close. You still have to win three sets to win the game."

The Flaming Arrows did just that, holding on in a tight fourth set to win the match. After the two teams alternated eight-consecutive points, Sachem North was on serve with the match tied at 13. Junior Rob Nolan won four consecutive service points, helping Sachem North close the match on a 12-5 run.

"We all knew we were going to come back. That's what we do," said Nolan, who had 11 digs. "It's just a great feeling to know we did it."

"We knew we were a special team," junior middle hitter Adam Bloomfield said. "It feels good to know all our hard work paid off."

Matt Grace added seven kills for Sachem North, which opened the day by sweeping McQuaid and Bethlehem Central in pool play to earn a berth in the championship.

Including the four sets they won in the preliminary round, the Flaming Arrows won 58 of the 59 sets they played this season.

"It means the world to me to go out on top," senior outside hitter Nick Miller said. "I'm so glad I got to do it with my brothers."