By MELANIE JERNIGAN and SONIA NGAI
Boys varsity volleyball ended their season with a 13-4 record in Long Island’s top volleyball conference. Led by senior captains Chase Ngai, Joshua Chen and Matthew Mitko, the team relied heavily on experience.
This year, the boys enjoyed a home advantage as many fans attended their games to support their journey to the playoffs. The team experienced many close games, often going to 5 sets. With close games comes pressure, and some think the team operates best under it. Senior Matthew Mitko said, “We perform very well under pressure while also giving it right back to the other team. During these times, we always bring good energy to help motivate everyone to push through and finish the game as best we can.”
This year the team went on to play East Meadow in the semifinals for the Nassau County Championship. The boys battled but lost in 4 sets to East Meadow.
As the season came to an end, Coach Okulski announced his retirement. This was Okulski’s 17th year coaching boys varsity volleyball here at Jericho. Senior Andrew Pang said, “I think it’s been a long and fun career for him as he has coached for more years than most of the guys have been alive. It’s a little sad that he couldn’t fulfill his county title and just came up short numerous times. He’s a really talented player and coach and we are proud to have been a part of his journey.”
Along with Coach Okulski, many of the program’s key players will also be leaving. Seniors Chase Ngai and Joshua Chen have left a mark on the team, elevating the program with their talent, dedication and leadership. Chase, a two-year captain, has been with the team since freshman year while Josh has been on the team since sophomore year. Chase received All-County awards during the 2022, 2023 and 2024 season which is a team first. Josh received All-County awards during the 2023 and 2024 season.
With Coach Oklulski and many of the experienced players moving on, the future success of the team is in question. Sophomore Adrian Zheng said, “Most of our starting players this year were seniors, so we’ll lose a lot of key players through graduation. But at the same time, we still have a lot of players with potential to keep Jericho’s legacy going.”
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