Athlete of the week is Sachem North’s Morreale

Sam Morreale refused to let the Sachem North boys volleyball season end.

Morreale racked up 45 kills and 26 digs in a comeback win to lead No. 2 Sachem North past No. 3 Connetquot in a 27-29, 35-37, 25-13, 25-19, 15-7 victory in his semifinals. Suffolk Tournament I on Tuesday.

“Because of who he is and his character, I trust him in all scenarios,” Sachem North coach Matt Rivera said. “That Connetquot team is really good and Sam was just ready. He kept the other guys calm and told them we were going to take it one game at a time.”

For his efforts, Morreale is the Newsday Athlete of the Week.

“We knew going in that we were the better team,” Morreale said. “If we were going to lose, it’s because of me and I’m not going to let anyone dictate how my season ends.”

Not only does Morreale lead all of Suffolk in kills and is second on Long Island this season with 419, but she also holds the program record for kills with 813.

“Sam is special because he’s the complete package,” Rivera said. “He’s a renaissance man. Sam does everything with sincerity and he does it with a smile on his face and it’s impressive.”

Rivera went on to speak highly of the senior’s character and how well he carries himself on and off the court.

“Everybody knows him for the right reasons. He’s the first guy to walk onto the field after the JV team wins a game and give everybody high fives,” Rivera said. “Teachers will stop me and say he’s doing a good job in class, and as a coach, that’s refreshing to hear.”

Morreale’s willingness to drive extends beyond the pitch. He is a volunteer PTA advisor for the Sachem Youth Advisory Group for special education and teaches social skills to younger children with special needs. He is also a volunteer youth coach at Sachem, where he attends the middle school and helps coach volleyball.

“I think it’s great for the varsity kids to interact with the younger kids and it’s special for them,” Morreale said. “I love doing it and I love seeing other people do it.”

Morreale maintains a high GPA while taking four AP classes and is a member of the National Honor Society. He sent applications to Harvard, MIT, and Vassar.

“It comes from my parents, they instilled in me early on that education was important,” Morreale said. “I have a sense of pride in being at the top of my class. Being good at a sport and academically can open a lot of doors for me.”

Excited to enter a new chapter in his life, Morreale is focused on playing a tough Ward Melville team on Tuesday and securing a Suffolk I championship for Sachem North.

“This is everything to me. When I started playing volleyball, this was my dream,” Morreale said. “Sachem North has had a county winner every year and we fell out of that. I want to bring the program back to glory.”