September 16, 2025

Another large schedule of games tonight on the Tuesday of week #3 of the NJ High School girl’s volleyball season. Let’s get right to the some the match recaps of notable games…

Undefeated Rutherford (6-0) rallied from a set deficit to defeat Cresskill (4-2) in a gripping three-set encounter, 20-25, 25-17, 25-9, to stay perfect at 4-0 in NJIC Meadowlands Division play. The Bulldogs were sparked by Mackenzie Vellis’ match-high 13 kills and 14 digs, Cate Finan’s exceptional 26 assists, Juliette Sing’s dominant 4 blocks, Mia George’s 7 kills and 7 digs, and Janina Barna’s all-around effort with 7 digs and 11 assists. Cresskill battled hard behind Rieslyn Hong’s 9 kills and 3 aces, Alicia Sathananthan’s 15 assists, and Riley Zitomer’s 7 kills, but couldn’t sustain their opening-set momentum as Rutherford dominated the final two frames. The thrilling comeback preserves Rutherford’s unblemished record while Cresskill falls to 3-1 in league standings after letting a promising start slip away.

Fifth-ranked Williamstown (6-0) outlasted ninth-ranked St. John Vianney (4-1) in an intense four-set battle, 25-23, 24-26, 25-19, 25-20, in non-conference action between two highly-ranked squads. The Braves were powered by Peyton Wright’s outstanding 14 kills, Sabrina Aslanian’s impressive 4 blocks, Addilyn Belcher’s 7 kills, and Khloe Lynch’s solid contributions with 3 kills and 1 ace in the hard-fought victory. St. John Vianney battled fiercely behind Taylor Sofilkanich’s remarkable performance with 11 kills and 7 blocks, Ayana Warren’s exceptional 35 assists, Genevieve Millett’s 8 kills and 11 digs, and Helen Domashinski’s 8 kills, but couldn’t quite match Williamstown’s closing kick in the fourth set. The thrilling victory keeps Williamstown unbeaten while handing St. John Vianney their first setback of the season in a showcase matchup between two of the state’s elite programs.

Cherokee (4-2) edged Shawnee (5-3) in a competitive three-set match, 25-18, 27-29, 27-25, in cross-divisional Olympic conference action. The victory improves Cherokee to 2-0 in Olympic American Division play, while Shawnee falls to 2-1 in Olympic Patriot Division competition after the closely contested battle that featured two sets decided by just two points.

Top-ranked Paul VI (6-0) continued their perfect season with a commanding 25-16, 25-12 sweep of struggling Lenape (1-5) in cross-divisional Olympic conference play. The Eagles were led by Megan Evans with 7 kills, Maggie Carcillo with 11 assists and 4 aces, Kam Wertz with 3 blocks, Maddy Harada with 3 digs, and Brynn Casmay with solid all-around play including 3 assists and 2 digs. Paul VI showcased their depth and talent with 22 kills as a team while completely stifling Lenape’s offensive attack. The defeat extends Lenape’s struggles to 1-5 overall, while Paul VI remains unbeaten with another dominant performance in non-divisional conference action.

Undefeated Bishop Eustace (6-0) rolled past Haddonfield (2-3) with a dominant 25-15, 25-10 sweep to stay perfect at 4-0 in Olympic National Division play. The Crusaders were led by Hailey Mack’s historic performance with 15 kills to reach her 500th career kill milestone, while Samantha Costello delivered an outstanding all-around effort with 14 assists and 2 blocks. Bishop Eustace also received key contributions from Sophie Durham with 8 kills, Paige Ladik with 9 digs and 1 ace, Lucia DeCesare with 6 aces, and Gianna Esposito with 5 digs in the comprehensive team victory. The Crusaders totaled 28 kills while completely shutting down Haddonfield’s attack, as the hosts drop to 2-2 in division action after being unable to generate any offensive momentum against one of the south teams rising in the ranks.

Undefeated Westfield (8-0) edged Cranford (6-1) in a thrilling three-set battle, 26-28, 25-13, 25-14, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season in cross-divisional UCC action. The Blue Devils were led by Sophia Simeone’s 9 kills and 5 aces, Emelia Dengler’s 17 assists, Audrey Stack’s remarkable 6 blocks, Ava Gaspard’s 8 kills and 18 digs, and Audrey Hu’s outstanding 21 digs in a complete team performance. Cranford fought valiantly behind Taylor Jones’ 9 kills, Emma Andre’s 12 assists, Zornitsa Roussenov’s 3 blocks, and Emma Gutierrez’s 18 digs, but couldn’t sustain their early momentum after capturing the opening set in extra points. The comeback victory preserves Westfield’s perfect record while Cranford drops their first contest despite maintaining their flawless 6-0 mark in UCC Mountain Division play.

Jadyn Clinkscale, a junior who has already committed to play Division I volleyball at BYU, delivered a spectacular performance with 9 kills and an impressive 6 blocks to lead Atlantic Tech (4-1) past Our Lady of Mercy (5-2) in a 25-16, 25-19 straight-set victory that boosted the Blue Devils to 3-0 in CAL American Division play. Tyler Myronowsky orchestrated the attack brilliantly with 19 assists while Aubrie Strickland contributed 7 kills and Genesis Lopez added 7 digs to complete a well-rounded team effort that produced 17 kills overall. The triumph keeps Atlantic Tech unbeaten in conference action as they continue their surge up the standings, while Our Lady of Mercy absorbs a tough divisional loss that drops them to 2-1 in CAL American play. Despite being unable to record statistical production, Our Lady of Mercy competed hard but couldn’t solve Atlantic Tech’s balanced attack and stifling defense anchored by Clinkscale’s dominant net presence.

Undefeated Madison (5-0) swept Parsippany Hills (4-1) with a 29-27, 25-12 victory in cross-divisional NJAC competition. The Dodgers were paced by Sophia Christoffers’ 9 kills, Eva Errichetti’s 19 assists and 3 aces, Eden O’Connor’s 7 kills, Charlotte Forrester’s 2 blocks and 5 kills, and Emma de Freitas’ solid contributions with 3 kills and 1 ace. Madison overcame a hard-fought opening set that went to extra points before taking control in the second frame, showcasing their resilience and depth with 18 kills overall. The setback hands Parsippany Hills their first defeat of the season, while Madison continues their impressive unbeaten campaign with another quality victory over a strong opponent.

36th-ranked Mount St. Mary Lions (4-1) silenced Bridgewater-Raritan (5-3) with a flawless 25-18, 25-17 sweep to surge ahead at 3-1 in Skyland Delaware Division competition. The Lions received a phenomenal effort from Brienne Steinwald, who absolutely crushed 16 kills and delivered 4 aces to spearhead the offensive onslaught, while Elizabeth Mooney anchored the front line with 7 kills and 2 blocks. Aiden Steinwald facilitated the attack with 32 assists despite limited statistical recording, and Julia Stempien and Brighid Horvath each chipped in 3 aces to keep Bridgewater-Raritan off balance throughout both frames. The Panthers struggled to establish any rhythm against Mount St. Mary’s relentless pressure, falling to 1-3 in divisional action after failing to generate measurable offensive statistics in a match that showcased the growing gap between the conference contenders and pretenders.

Toms River North (4-1) prevailed over cross-town rival Toms River South (2-4) in a tightly contested three-set Shore Conference battle, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21, to capture the local bragging rights. The victory propels Toms River North to 2-1 in Shore B South Division standings while Toms River South slides to 1-3 in divisional competition after the narrow defeat. Both squads displayed tremendous grit throughout the evenly-matched contest, with each set featuring extended rallies and momentum swings that kept the outcome uncertain until the final point. The triumph represents a crucial conference win for Toms River North as they continue building momentum in league play, while Toms River South must regroup after dropping another close divisional encounter.

Sixteenth-ranked Pinelands (7-0) dismantled Brick Memorial (2-4) with a decisive 25-18, 25-14 sweep to extend their flawless run to 4-0 in Shore A South Division competition. The Wildcats showcased their depth with Madison Wilbert’s 7 kills and 3 aces, Chloe Tucker’s 13 assists, Jayda Quigley’s 6 kills and 9 aces, Cali Peterka’s 4 kills and 2 blocks, and Jayla Kline’s outstanding 17 digs to anchor a balanced offensive surge. Brick Memorial battled admirably through Emily Fitzgerald’s team-leading 7 kills and 2 aces, Kylie Kurek’s 9 assists, Charlotte Kampf’s 2 blocks, and Shaylan McDonald’s 9 digs, but couldn’t generate enough consistency against Pinelands’ relentless attack. The comprehensive victory reinforces Pinelands’ status among the state’s elite while Brick Memorial slips to 1-3 in divisional action after absorbing another conference setback.

Second-ranked Old Bridge (6-0) dominated J.P. Stevens (5-2) with a commanding 25-21, 25-20 sweep to maintain their unblemished record at 5-0 in GMC Red Division play. The Knights demonstrated their championship credentials through Ashley Markle’s explosive 10 kills and 6 aces, Maya Lupinski’s masterful 22 assists, Weronika Malinowski’s 5 kills and 6 digs, Tatum Jones’ 2 blocks and solid front-row presence, and Jannah Khalil’s outstanding 12 digs to fuel their relentless offensive machine. J.P. Stevens struggled to generate sustained momentum despite Aimee Han’s 2 kills and Tina Sehrawat’s 5 assists, as the Hawks managed only 7 total kills against Old Bridge’s suffocating defense. The lopsided triumph strengthens Old Bridge’s grip atop the GMC Red standings while J.P. Stevens tumbles to 4-2 in conference action after encountering the state’s second-ranked powerhouse.

Perfect Jackson Township (6-0) extended their spotless campaign with a convincing 25-19, 25-26 sweep over struggling Wall (1-4) to maintain their commanding 4-0 lead in Shore B South Division action. Freshman sensation Evelina Chimidova sparked the Jaguars with 9 kills and 9 digs in an outstanding debut performance, while Vanessa Fuentes dominated at the net with 4 blocks and Rafaella Mesquita distributed effectively with 12 assists and 5 digs. Jackson Township also received key contributions from Luka Marcinkeviciute with 5 kills, Sydney Savage with 5 digs, and Yasmin Palma with 5 digs and 4 aces as they rolled to 21 kills overall against limited resistance. Wall continues to search for answers after dropping to 1-2 in conference play, unable to generate any statistical production against the unbeaten Jaguars who appear poised to capture the divisional crown with their balanced attack and suffocating defense.

Some big games on the schedule tomorrow including Verona vs Livingston, Southern vs. Pinelands, Wayne Valley vs. Wayne Hills, Old Tappan vs. Northern Highlands, and Tenafly vs. Ramapo. Stay tuned to NJP for all the action.

More player interviews scheduled to be featured this week…

First computer ranking coming SUNDAY!