10/13/25

It’s been a defining few days after the end of week 6 with some major matchup results continuing to bring clarity to the NJ high school volleyball landscape. The Battle at the Bridge Tri-match solidified Williamstown’s position at the top of the apex as well as supported Old Bridge’s great performance as a NJ elite team. The Bergen County tournament will be showing off the quality of North Jersey talent and presenting many of the top 20 teams in the quarter-finals. Such a fun time of year.

The latest NJP computer ranking was posted this weekend. Paul VI remains the top team according to the math with Williamstown a hair behind. Old Bridge remains #3 with a strong performance Saturday and Princeton dropped a bit after absorbing 2 losses but also reflecting the margin of difference against both Williamstown and Old Bridge.

We discussed the high level of parity in NJ with so many teams, especially in the top 50 out of over 350 teams, that can strike positively on any given night. The state tournament will present so many great matches.

The NJP Player Rater was updated last night. With over 4,000 players it took some extra time to produce and we have noticed that some of the class graduation years had some errors. We are working on clarifying the accuracy before we launch our Watch List section by class year.

With over 4,000 players, we established a minimum set rate of 15 to be considered for the ranking. Over 2,750 players qualified based on sets played. So to make the top 10 percentile, over 90%, you need to be better than the top 280 players in NJ. We estimate that 5% of all players will go on to play at the collegiate level. And we try to track these as commitments are announced. Obviously if you are outside the 10%, you can still play at college as the collegiate level offers so many options when it comes to skills level and commitment. The main thing is to find the academic school that aligns with your future. The volleyball is just the extra piece of cake at the end of the meal.

Our Watch List project is designed to bring visibility to NJ players to the many college coaches throughout the nation. It’s one more way to showoff our New Jersey talent in addition to high school programs, club programs and tournaments, showcases, and personal outreach and visits. To make the NJP Watch List, you must carry the statistical output that grades you as a potential D1 player. The algorithm we are using for the watch list will be similar to our player rater but designed to cull out the players who we expect will meet the D1 standard. This list will start being populated this week. It will not be a ranking. You will either be on the list or not. The list will grow as time goes on or some players may drop off. The qualification for a senior will be different than the qualification of a freshman. More to come on this over the next week.

Thanks for continuing to vote for your favorite picture in the NJP Action Photo contest. Getting on the top 10 list is a major achievement in itself. Congrats to our 4 honorable mentions as well. We have had thousands of votes already and have a very tight race between multiple pictures. The winner be announced on Sunday, October 19th.

The top 12 players in the rater are…

We have a few corrections to make on grad years for the list but Sara Wingfield of Ramapo has surged to the top. This would make one heck of a NJ all-star team…

Hundreds of more faces added to the NJP Faces of NJ Volleyball page… are you there yet?

Here are some recent accolades for players and coaches…

There were 42 matches on the schedule tonight, a rather light start to week 7. Some really key matchups that will influence the top 50 will be highlighted…

The Immaculate Heart Eagles (13-3, 5-0 Big North – United) displayed tremendous resilience, rallying from a tough first-set loss to defeat the Sparta Spartans (11-6, 5-2 NJAC – American) in a compelling 2-1 non-conference battle. The Eagles’ victory was powered by the phenomenal performance of Adrielle Crump, who was an offensive force, smashing 17 kills in the three-set contest. Setter Kristen Lee was instrumental in facilitating the high-powered attack, delivering an impressive 37 assists while also contributing 21 digs and 2 aces. Lilith Roman was an absolute defensive anchor in the backcourt, leading all players with a remarkable 23 digs, with Adrielle Crump adding 11 digs for a double-double. Sophia Mahon chipped in 9 kills and Anabelle Albano added 5 kills and 13 digs, showcasing IHA‘s depth and grit in this thrilling comeback win. We congratulate Adrielle Crump and Kristen Lee on their fine performances, and we know they will continue to lead the Eagles to great things in the future! IHA has now won 10 of their last 11.

Westfield continued their impressive season with a commanding 2-0 sweep of Monroe on Monday night, posting 25-13 and 25-17 victories to improve to 16-3 overall. The Blue Devils’ balanced attack and stifling defense proved too much for the visiting Falcons to handle in a match that was controlled from start to finish. Ava Gaspard led the charge for Westfield with a well-rounded performance that included 7 kills, 2 blocks, 5 digs, and 3 aces. Her ability to impact the match in multiple ways set the tone for the Blue Devils’ dominance. Vicki Morey added 7 kills of her own while contributing 5 digs and an ace, giving Westfield a potent one-two punch at the net. Setter Abby Wilson orchestrated the offense beautifully, distributing 9 assists while adding 8 digs to help anchor the defense. Emelia Dengler was a force on the back line with a team-high 7 digs, while Audrey Hu chipped in 5 digs and an ace to keep Monroe (10-8, 9-3 GMC Red) off balance. Annelise Bonn contributed 3 kills and a block, and Sophia Simeone added 2 kills and 5 aces in a serving performance that helped Westfield pull away.

Verona continued its stellar run with an emphatic straight-set victory over Bogota, winning 25-14, 25-15 to improve to 16-2 on the season. The Hillbillies were powered once again by Brynn Mack, who dominated the match with 11 kills, 10 digs, and an impressive 7 aces, setting the tone from the service line and at the net. Setter Samantha Heimall efficiently distributed the offense with 17 assists and added 4 digs and 2 aces, while Jessica Theobald was strong defensively, tallying 2 blocks and 4 digs. Abigail Romanyshyn added 4 kills and 9 digs, and Vianna Arrington-Phillips anchored the back row with 13 digs in another complete team effort. Bogota, now 14-3, faced one of its toughest opponents of the season and struggled to match Verona’s relentless serving and clean execution. Despite their usual intensity, the Buccaneers were unable to establish rhythm against a disciplined Verona squad that controlled every phase of the game. The win highlights Verona’s balanced firepower and defensive stability, keeping them among North Jersey’s elite programs as they build momentum for the postseason.

Union Catholic showed grit and determination to rally past Gov. Livingston in three sets, 18-25, 25-13, 25-23, improving to 13-6 on the season. The Vikings found their rhythm after dropping the first set, led by a stellar performance from Alyssa Kenol, who powered the offense with 13 kills and added a key block in the comeback effort. Ayla Burke added 11 kills and 6 digs, while setter Sabrina Capati directed the attack with 15 assists and chipped in 4 aces and 5 digs. Alex Landazabal contributed 12 assists, 6 digs, and 3 aces, providing a steady presence that kept Union Catholic composed in the decisive third set. Strong defensive play from Sienna Mabee and Mia Taylor helped close out the win, sealing another important conference victory. Gov. Livingston, now 10-7, came out strong behind Abby Kim, who recorded 9 kills and 11 digs, and Claire Sanchez, who added 8 kills. Setter Sierra Isbirian was outstanding, posting 30 assists and an ace while running an efficient first-set offense. Olivia Ho added 6 kills and an ace, and Briana Garro contributed 2 blocks at the net. Despite a strong start, the Highlanders struggled to contain Union Catholic’s service game and late-match adjustments. The Vikings’ poise under pressure allowed them to complete a well-earned comeback in a competitive UCC Watchung battle.

The undefeated Williamstown Braves (20-0, 7-0 Tri-County – Royal) faced a fierce challenge but ultimately prevailed, sweeping the divisional rival Washington Township Minutemen (11-7, 3-4 Tri-County – Royal) 2-0. The Braves were pushed to the brink in the first set, winning a nail-biting 26-24 before taking the second set 25-15. Stella Eberly led the attack for Williamstown, finishing the night with 10 kills and 2 digs. Orchestrating the offense with great precision was setter Khloe Lynch, who contributed a fantastic 22 assists and added 2 aces from the service line. Outside hitter Peyton Wright was a key contributor with 7 kills, while Sabrina Aslanian patrolled the net with 2 blocks. The Braves’ serving kept the pressure high, with Lora Kunicki and Khloe Lynch leading the team with 2 aces each. We congratulate Khloe Lynch and the entire Williamstown team on their stellar undefeated run and anticipate more great things to come! The Braves have the best record in NJ!

The Ramapo Raiders (13-1, 6-0 Big North – Freedom) faced a spirited four-set test from the Ramsey Rams (10-5, 5-2 Big North – Patriot) but prevailed to keep their excellent season rolling. The match was an absolute showcase of high-level hitting. Ramapo’s attack was utterly dominant, led by Sara Wingfield (recently named the #1 player in NJ by NJP), who crushed a staggering 29 kills! She was brilliantly set up by Ella Petrevski, who was the match’s assist leader with a career-level 46 assists. Ramsey’s offense was fierce as well, with Haley Spierenburg leading her squad with 15 kills, helping the Rams snag a 25-21 victory in the second set. However, Ramapo‘s depth and defense proved too strong, with Cassie Bergstein adding 13 digs and Ramapo totaling 149 digs as a team. Ella Petrevski and Sara Wingfield showed why they are two of the state’s best, and we congratulate them on their outstanding performances that secured the hard-fought victory. The Raiders’ ability to win these tight contests demonstrates their championship mettle.

Secaucus remained perfect in NJIC Colonial Division play with a 2-0 victory over Glen Rock on Monday afternoon, improving to 15-2 overall and an impressive 10-0 in divisional competition. The Patriots took control early and never let up, winning by scores of 25-23 and 25-9 to hand the Panthers just their fourth loss of the season. Olivia Jasiczek paced the Secaucus attack with 10 kills while contributing 13 digs and an ace for another stellar all-around performance. Setter Sarah Veloz was the architect behind the offense, dishing out 23 assists while adding 3 digs and 3 aces to keep the Patriots rolling. Isabella Pablos made her presence felt at the net with 3 kills, 3 blocks, and a dig, providing a formidable defensive wall that Glen Rock struggled to penetrate. The Patriots’ defensive effort was outstanding, with Sofia Guzman leading the way with 7 digs and Avalyn Torres adding 9 digs to keep rallies alive. Elizabeth Aquino contributed 2 kills and a dig, while Ava D’Addetta chipped in a kill as Secaucus demonstrated the depth and balance that has carried them to an undefeated divisional record. Glen Rock (12-4, 7-3 NJIC Colonial) battled hard in the opening set but couldn’t sustain their momentum against the relentless Patriots, who pulled away convincingly in the second frame to secure the sweep and maintain their stranglehold atop the Colonial Division standings.