(Photo courtesy of the Seaford School District)
When the time came for Seaford High School’s Emily DeVito to rise to the occasion, she did exactly that. As the Vikings reached the Long Island girls volleyball championship, the senior star took control.
DeVito had 20 kills against the Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms, with a pair of aces and a block, enough to help lead the team to its first Long Island title. During the state tournament, she was named to the All-Tournament team.
DeVito spoke with the Levittown Tribune, discussing her on-court success, as well as her goals moving forward.
Q: What was the season like for you?
A: We went from Class B to AA/B/C-I, which is a big jump for a small school. We had a lot of challenges throughout our games, but playing against bigger schools with bigger girls brought us to the counties, the Long Island championship and states.
Q: What skills stand out for you on the volleyball court?
A: I’ve been playing for a long time. Definitely, my best position is on the outside. I like the back row a lot. Volleyball isn’t just one person playing. Everyone really helps out and you need everyone to be on all the time, and that helps with your skills.
Q: How did you get started playing volleyball?
A: I started out thanks to my family. A lot of the girls on my mom’s side of the family play. I used to do gymnastics, and I was very competitive. I wanted to play a high school sport, so I played varsity field hockey in eighth grade. I wasn’t too fond of the sport, but it was a great experience for me, especially to be exposed to the high school level. I decided to move on to volleyball because I was already playing with some of the girls on my CYO [Catholic Youth Organization] team.
Q: What are some of your goals moving forward?
A: I would love to play in college. I’m still looking at colleges. But I play club volleyball for South Bay in Amityville. I want to contact more schools and hopefully, play in college.
Q: What are you most proud of in terms of your volleyball accomplishments?
A: I did start playing a little later than everyone else because I didn’t play any sports within my town and I did gymnastics outside of my town. My biggest accomplishment is getting to where I am today, becoming a leader. All of the girls on the team nominated me to be captain the last two years, and it’s been a great confidence booster. It’s not just confidence, but it’s that you want to help every single person on your team. I love being the leader that I am. It makes all of the difference. The skills I’ve learned, not only from my coaches, but all of the girls on the team, really help.
