Champions Crowned: Day 1 Finals of Sectional Tournament
Champions were crowned yesterday afternoon/evening. As Group 3, Group 4 and half of Non-Public finished off their seasons. Half of the teams were celebrating while the other half were mourning which is always the toughest part as only one can…
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Continue ReadingChampions were crowned yesterday afternoon/evening. As Group 3, Group 4 and half of Non-Public finished off their seasons. Half of the teams were celebrating while the other half were mourning which is always the toughest part as only one can be crowned as a champion. The volleyball was absolutely phenomenal with individual performances that were championship worthy. Let’s look at who were victorious.
Group 3
North 1: Tenafly
I said yesterday that I was nervous of picking Northern Highlands with how Tenafly was playing. They claimed their first sectional title since 2009 yesterday. It was a remarkable run in their 2-0 victory. Meghan Koehler racked up 21 assists and she was the best player on the court yesterday. This squad had so many underclassmen step up all year because of some seniors opting out of the season.
North 2: Mendham
I should’ve trusted my co-author Sara here. She had Mendham as a team to beat from the start and they got out of the gates slow. But they finished red-hot winning 8-9 including a 2-0 sectional championship over Chatham. Poppy Skjonnemand had eight kills to lead third-seeded Mendham to victory.
Central: Scotch Plains-Fanwood
My first correct prediction goes to Scotch Plains-Fanwood where they took down Colonia in a three-set thriller. Who was the difference? The best player all-year in my opinion, Adelina Berisha who took over in the last half of the third set. The best players rise to the occasion when needed and she did with 24 kills. It helps she got over my prediction of 200 kills en route to their first sectional title.
South: Shawnee
Shawnee took down Toms River South 2-0 to be crowned champs but it definitely wasn’t easy. Both sets were extremely tight and the second set was 31-29! Yes, 31-29! The duo of Moscicki and Thornton proved to be the difference in a match that could’ve easily been 2-0 the other way. Moscicki led the way with 16 kills while Thornton added 10.
Group 4
North 1: Ridgewood
Ridgewood’s balance proved to be the difference against one of the two cinderella stories in yesterday’s finals in Randolph. Both sets were tight but Cammi Quirk’s ability to spread the ball around proved to keep Randolph off-balance to ensure a 2-0 victory. She finished with 22 assists, 13 digs and 2 kills. Ridgewood ended their season winning 11 of 13.
North 2: North Hunterdon
In a match, I thought would be tight, instead became an absolute coronation for North Hunterdon. They rolled in their 2-0 victory over Westfield. They trailed early in the first set but after that it was domination. Hissner was the focal point with 4 kills, 2 blocks, 6 digs, 7 assists and 3 aces. She did it all. As an added bonus, Devon Adamy Devon Adamy 5'10" | OH North Hunterdon | 2021 State NJ picked up her 500th kill.
Central: East Brunswick
East Brunswick got in done! I assumed the match would be tight but East Brunswick made the critical plays in both sets when it mattered to take down Hunterdon Central 2-0. Senior Anaya Prince Anaya Prince 5'11" | MB East Brunswick | 2021 State NJ posted a team best nine kills for East Brunswick. Finishing off the job was the most difficult as Hunterdon survived five match points before East Brunswick got the victory.
South: Southern
In the match of the day, Southern outlasted Cherokee 2-1 in a magnificent three-set match that easily gone either way. Southern lived and died behind the arm of Rachael Pharo and she delivered with 24 kills as Southern won their first title since 2008. In the second set, Cherokee had two match points to close it out and Southern survived to push the match to a third. The quality of volleyball from this match was off the charts.
Non-Public
North B: Morris Catholic
Morris Catholic were on their A-game from the opening whistle as they rolled to a 2-0 victory over Montclair Kimberly. Ella Kretten had 14 kills and 5 digs to lead the way. Morris Catholic jumped on Montclair Kimberly early in both sets and Montclair Kimberly could never recover. It was the most dominant performance of the day by Morris Catholic.
South B: Mother Seton
Mother Seton capped off their perfect season with a title over the other cinderella story in Rutgers Prep. The dynamic duo of North and Orange led the way. North had 12 kills while Orange racked up 15 assists. Mother Seton was a team I saw potential in going into this season with this sophomore duo. Now, they have two more years to leave a legacy for this Mother Seton program.