Tonight’s massive schedule starts week three of the NJ high school volleyball season. Each team is continuing to build their resume and reveal who the top teams are statewide. Tonight’s games are contributing to that knowledge base as new teams emerge as teams in the top 10%. The algorithm is firing up for this weekends first computer ranking which we are sure will open some eyes when the data settles.
Here are some of tonight’s recaps. Stay tuned until 2AM as more games will be populated through the evening:
Undefeated Demarest (4-0) continued their strong start to the season with a straight-set victory over Pascack Valley (2-2), winning 25-17, 25-14 to improve to 3-0 in Big North National play. The Golden Bears were led by junior Deana Finkelstein’s dominant performance with 11 kills and 4 aces, while setter Maya Snir orchestrated the offense with 20 assists. Demarest‘s balanced attack featured contributions from multiple players, with the team recording 19 kills compared to Pascack Valley‘s 18, but their efficiency and Finkelstein’s explosive hitting proved to be the difference. Despite a solid effort from Pascack Valley’s Riley Hirsch, who led her team with 7 kills, the Panthers couldn’t match Demarest’s offensive firepower as they dropped to 1-2 in conference play.
Thirteenth-ranked Kingsway (3-0) dominated winless Highland (0-6) in a 25-12, 25-11 straight-set victory to open Tri-County Royal Division play with a perfect 1-0 record. The Dragons showcased a balanced offensive attack led by Ava Patterson‘s 6 kills, while setter Addison Green distributed the ball effectively with 10 assists and contributed 5 aces from the service line. Kingsway’s depth was evident as they recorded 21 kills as a team and controlled the match from start to finish, never allowing Highland to gain momentum in either set. The struggling Highland team, now 0-6 on the season and 0-1 in Tri-County Liberty play, continue searching for their first win of the campaign.
Tenafly (2-2) pulled off a stunning upset over seventh-ranked Old Tappan (4-1), winning 25-19, 25-15 to even their Big North National record at 1-1 and hand the Golden Knights their first loss of the season. The Tigers were powered by an exceptional performance from Lexi McGinty, who hammered 16 kills to lead all players, while setter Mia Bareket orchestrated the offense with 21 assists in the straight-set victory. Tenafly’s balanced attack and strong net play, including 2 blocks from Ryan Liles, proved too much for Old Tappan, who managed just 22 kills as a team compared to Tenafly’s 26. Despite a solid effort from Old Tappan’s Julia Whaley with 4 kills and Joley Giordano’s 14 assists, the Golden Knights couldn’t match Tenafly’s offensive firepower as they improved to 2-0 in conference play.
Bridgewater-Raritan (5-2) rallied from a set down to defeat eleventh-ranked Sparta (5-2) in a thrilling four-set match, 25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17, to earn their first Skyland Delaware Division victory. The Panthers were led by Ava Marvuglio’s outstanding 15 kills and Ella Sorenson’s exceptional 41 assists, while Jahniah Bishop dominated at the net with 5 blocks to help control the middle of the court. Sparta, which entered the match undefeated in NJAC American play at 3-0, received strong performances from Arielle Gomez with 12 kills and Hannah Dodson with 23 assists, but couldn’t maintain their momentum after taking the third set. The loss drops the Spartans to 5-2 overall while Bridgewater-Raritan improves to 5-2 overall with an impressive victory against a ranked opponent.
Undefeated Westfield Blue Devils (7-0) remained perfect on the season with a 25-20, 25-19 straight-set victory over 24th-ranked Union Catholic Vikings (5-1) to maintain their flawless 6-0 record in UCC Watchung Division play. The Blue Devils were led by Ava Gaspard’s 9 kills and Emelia Dengler’s 8 assists, while Vicki Morey provided crucial support with 7 kills and an impressive 5 aces from the service line. Despite a strong individual performance from Union Catholic’s Alyssa Kenol, who led all players with 11 kills and added 2 blocks, the Vikings couldn’t overcome Westfield’s balanced attack and fell to 4-1 in conference play. The victory keeps Westfield atop the division standings as they continue their impressive unbeaten start to the season.
Moorestown Quakers (5-1) bounced back from a second-set loss to defeat Northern Burlington Greyhounds (5-1) in a thrilling three-set match, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, improving to 2-1 in Olympic Patriot Division play. The Quakers were led by Mya Roberts’ match-high 10 kills and Lindsay Bonavita’s outstanding 22 assists, which helped Moorestown secure the victory after Northern Burlington evened the match by taking the second set. Northern Burlington received a strong performance from Sarah Smith, who contributed 6 kills and an impressive 4 blocks in the losing effort, but the Greyhounds couldn’t maintain their momentum after forcing a decisive third set. The loss hands Northern Burlington their first defeat of the season as they drop from their unbeaten start, while the victory keeps Moorestown competitive in Olympic Patriot Division play.
North Plainfield (5-1) cruised to a 25-16, 25-16 straight-set victory over winless Timothy Christian (0-8) to maintain their perfect 5-1 record in GMC Blue Division play. North Plainfield was led by Chloe Rodriguez with 6 kills and Daniela Olasunkanmi with 7 assists, while Emma Pratt contributed with solid all-around play including 6 digs from the back row. North Plainfield controlled the match from start to finish, recording 19 kills as a team while limiting Timothy Christian to minimal offensive production. The struggling Timothy Christian team remains winless at 0-8 overall and 0-8 in conference play as they continue searching for their first victory of the season against a strong North Plainfield squad that has emerged as a contender in the GMC Blue Division.
Delaware Valley (2-2) earned a convincing 25-21, 25-18 straight-set victory over Hopewell Valley (1-6) as both teams competed in non-conference action. Delaware Valley was led by Taylor Aycock, who recorded 4 kills and 1 block, while Ellie Fisher distributed the offense with 4 assists and Riley Liskowacki anchored the defense with an outstanding 13 digs. Delaware Valley controlled both sets despite Hopewell Valley’s competitive effort in the opening frame, with the team recording 22 kills overall compared to Hopewell Valley’s minimal offensive production. The victory helps Delaware Valley even their record at 2-2 on the season, while Hopewell Valley continues to struggle at 1-6 overall as they search for their second win of the campaign.
Colonia (3-3) dominated West Windsor-Plainsboro South (3-3) with a 25-13, 25-13 straight-set victory in non-conference action. Colonia was led by Veronica Stepien’s outstanding all-around performance with 9 kills and 1 block, while setter Arabella Palmeri orchestrated the offense with 19 assists to help the team record 20 kills overall. Colonia controlled the match from start to finish, never allowing West Windsor-Plainsboro South to establish any offensive rhythm as they limited their opponents to to just 26 points. The convincing victory helps Colonia even their record at 3-3 on the season, while West Windsor-Plainsboro South also sits at 3-3 as both teams continue to search for consistency in the middle portion of their campaigns.
Ocean City (5-1) cruised to a dominant 25-16, 25-9 straight-set victory over winless Mainland (0-5) in CAL conference action. Ocean City improved to 2-0 in CAL National Division play with the convincing win, controlling both sets from start to finish against the struggling Mainland squad. Ocean City’s balanced team effort was evident as they never allowed Mainland to establish any offensive rhythm throughout the contest. Mainland remains winless at 0-5 overall and 0-3 in CAL American Division play as they continue searching for their first victory of the season against stronger conference competition.
Fair Lawn (2-2) upset Wayne Hills (3-1) with a 25-21, 25-20 straight-set victory in Big North Independence Division action, evening both teams’ conference records at 2-1. Fair Lawn was led by Lior Grinstein’s match-high 11 kills and Jeanelle Jardiolin’s exceptional all-around performance with 20 assists and 2 blocks, helping the team record 25 kills compared to Wayne Hills’ 16. Despite a solid effort from Wayne Hills’ Victoria Galan with 5 kills, Fair Lawn’s balanced attack and strong net play proved to be the difference in both sets. The victory helps the Cutters even their overall record at 2-2 while handing Wayne Hills their first loss since opening the season, as both teams remain competitive in Big North Independence Division play.
DePaul (3-2) earned a 25-22, 25-20 straight-set victory over Paramus Catholic (3-1) in Big North United Division action, improving to 1-2 in conference play. DePaul was led by Olivia Kucera’s 7 kills and Ava Jakubas’ 12 assists, while the team showcased a balanced offensive attack with 18 kills overall. DePaul controlled both sets despite competitive play from Paramus Catholic, with Alexis Guia posting 3 aces, 10 service points, 8 digs, and 6 kills. The victory helps DePaul bounce back from their previous loss while Paramus Catholic suffers their first defeat of the season, dropping to 1-1 in Big North United Division play.
Ramsey (5-0) remained undefeated with a dominant 25-13, 25-18 straight-set victory over winless Indian Hills (0-4) to maintain their perfect 3-0 record in Big North Patriot Division play. Ramsey was led by Madda Burnett’s 8 kills and Bella Moore’s 16 assists, while Haley Spierenburg contributed 8 kills to help the team showcase a balanced offensive attack with 29 kills overall. Ramsey controlled both sets from start to finish, with their depth and offensive firepower proving too much for Indian Hills to handle. The win keeps Ramsey atop the Big North Patriot Division standings while Indian Hills remains winless at 0-4 overall and 0-3 in conference play as they continue searching for their first victory of the season.
Westwood (4-1) swept past Mahwah (0-4) with a commanding 25-5, 25-11 triumph to advance to 2-1 in Big North Patriot Division standings. The Cardinals were paced by Maria Papathanasopoulos with 5 kills and Julia Niewiarowski with 9 assists, while Jules Batelli anchored the front row with 2 blocks in the lopsided affair. Westwood overwhelmed their opponents with 23 kills as a squad while completely shutting down Mahwah’s attack, as the Cardinals never allowed their hosts to generate any sustained momentum across either frame. The rout extends Mahwah’s winless streak to four matches and 0-3 in league action, while Westwood bounces back from their lone setback to stay competitive in the division race.
Mount Olive (2-2) captured a decisive 25-20, 25-19 straight-set triumph over Mountain Lakes (3-2) in cross-divisional NJAC competition. The Marauders were propelled by Izabella Osoria’s stellar performance with 13 kills and 1 block, while setter Kaitlyn Tungman facilitated the attack with 23 assists to help her squad tally 18 total kills. Despite a valiant effort from Mountain Lakes’ Victoriaria Norvak, who posted 7 kills, and Bulgari Kanaheva’s impressive 3 blocks, the Lakers couldn’t match Mount Olive’s offensive efficiency in either set. The defeat snaps Mountain Lakes’ winning momentum as they fall to 3-2 overall, while Mount Olive evens their record at 2-2 with a quality non-conference victory.
Paramus (2-3) rallied from a set deficit to defeat winless Dumont (0-4) in a thrilling three-set battle, 18-25, 25-14, 25-18, earning their second victory in Big North Freedom Division action. The Spartans were spearheaded by Niki Tetro’s exceptional 11 kills and Mattia Rivarola’s outstanding 27 assists and 10 digs, while Laetitia Miksi-Sahdo contributed 5 kills and 8 digs along with 1 block in the comeback effort. Paramus overcame an opening set loss by outscoring Dumont 50-32 over the final two frames, demonstrating remarkable resilience after dropping the first set by seven points. The heartbreaking loss extends Dumont’s struggles to 0-4 overall.
River Dell (5-0) maintained their perfect season with a dominant 25-15, 25-21 sweep of Pascack Hills (2-2) to stay unbeaten at 3-0 in Big North Patriot Division competition. The Golden Hawks were guided by Marissa Petrocelli’s 7 kills and 7 digs, Kai Grebla’s superb 18 assists and 8 digs, and Cassidy Collins’ 2 blocks in a well-rounded team performance that produced 18 kills overall. The defeat drops Pascack Hills to 1-2 in division play while River Dell continues their impressive campaign atop the Big North Patriot standings with another convincing conference victory.
Northern Highlands (4-1) outlasted Hackensack (1-3) in a hard-fought three-set thriller, 25-13, 16-25, 25-21, to improve to 2-1 in Big North Freedom Division action. The Highlanders were powered by Hannah Liberant’s 8 kills, Allie Reilly’s exceptional 21 assists and 3 digs, and Ava Gagliano’s 2 blocks in a complete team effort that featured 33 kills overall. Northern Highlands rebounded from a second-set setback to close out the match in the decisive third frame, showcasing their resilience after Hackensack forced the extra set with a strong middle-game performance. The loss drops Hackensack to 0-2 in conference play while Northern Highlands stays competitive in the Big North Freedom Division race with their fourth win of the season.
More to come…