WEEK 3 TOP 10

Thanks to Charlie Ginex for the photo (East Brunswick's Sameer Sood, the tournament MVP, passes the ball during the Bears Invitational.)

By Fred Siegle

Not many changes here from last week. But some more big matches this week - St. Josephs at East Brunswick today, and both those teams along with Moorestown at Southern on Saturday in a quad match could bring a shakeup next week.

1. EAST BRUNSWICK (8-0). Preseason ranking: 2; last week: 1. The Bears had a relatively uneventful week since the last ranking with wins over Bridgewater, South Brunswick, and West Windsor Plainsboro-South. They also went 13-1 in games as they won their Bears Invitational on Saturday. First real test of the season is Tuesday when they host St. Joseph.

2. Southern (13-0). Preseason ranking: 3; last week: 2. The Rams won their Shore Conference rivalry match with CBA last Monday. Now they can look forward to their big quad on Saturday when they host the No. 1, 3, and 9 teams.

3. St. Josephs (9-1). Preseason ranking: 1; last week: 3. The Falcons continued their ambitous schedule on Monday with a win over No. 5 Fair Lawn. They've already played six of the top 10 teams and will add East Brunswick (twice) and Moorestown this week. Coach Miguel Cabrita has invited Bayonne, the only other top 10 team the Falcons haven't played, to the Super Six Showcase (May 12). The other invitees: Fair Lawn, East Brunswick, Southern and Moorestown.

4. Old Bridge (5-2). Preseason ranking: 4; last week: 4. The Knights reached the semifinals at the Bears Invitational on Saturday, losing in one game to St. Joes. they had compiled a 7-5 record in pool play at the event.


5. Fair Lawn (7-1). Preseason ranking: 5; last week: 5. The Cutters suffered their first loss of the season against St. Joseph on Monday. They'll get another chance against the Falcons at the Super Six Showcase on May 12, when they'll also play East Brunswick, Southern and Moorestown. They reached the final at the Clifton Tournament on Saturday, losing to North Pocono of Pennsylvania.

6. CBA (8-3). Preseason ranking: 7; last week: 6. The Colts' only losses have been to No. 2 Southern (twice) and No. 3 St. Joes. The reached the semifinals at the Clifton Tournament on Saturday, going 6-2 in pool play, and beating Livingston in a 1-game playoff. They lost to North Pocono of Pennsylvania in semis. Brendan Corley was named to the all-tournament team.

7. Bayonne (10-0). Preseason ranking: 8; last week: 8. The Bees won their battle for supremacy in Hudson County with a 25-18, 19-25, 26-24 victory over St. Peters last Thursday. The two teams meet again on May 10 at St. Peters. This weekend, they'll be at the Livingston Tournament.

8. St. Peters (9-4). Preseason ranking: 6; last week: 7. The Marauders drop another notch after the loss to Bayonne, but aren't likely to fall any further in the foreseeable future. They won their pool with a 7-1 record at the Clifton Tournament.

9. Moorestown (6-0). Preseason ranking: 9; last week: 9. The Quakers are the only school in the 18-team Olympic Conference without a loss. They beat Eastern and Washington Township last week, and also captured the title at the Collingswood Classic on Saturday.

10. Bridgewater-Raritan (6-1). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch); last week: teams to watch. There's no shame in a loss to East Brunswick. The Panthers beat a quality team in Hillsborough last Thursday. While they barely made the state playoffs last year, Bridgewater seems to be cruising toward the postseason now.

Teams to watch: Clifton (still unbeaten and host Old Bridge on Friday); Livingston (beat Vernon last Friday); Williamstown (knocked Eastern from the unbeaten ranks last Wednesday); Bridgewater-Raritan (beat Hillsborough in a 3-setter last week); Eastern (still a talented team despite back-to-back losses to Williamstown and Moorestown.)

(edited on 4/24 to reflect loss by South Brunswick (to West Windsor South) last week that I hadn't taken into account - Fred).

St. Joseph beats Fair Lawn

By Fred Siegle

METUCHEN - When the games were on the line, St. Joseph's volleyball team was unfazed by the pressure.

In both games against Fair Lawn on Monday, the teams battled back and forth until the score was 18-18. And in both games, the Falcons came through with strings of points to emerge with a 25-19, 25-21 victory.

Senior middle Drew Colon, who finished the match with a solo block, his second in three points, said it was simply a matter of figuring out the opponents.

"Their whole team hits angle, none of them ever hit line,'' Colon said. "It's easy to block when you know where they're going.''

Fair Lawn had a 21-20 lead in game two, but a service error tied the score. Then, Colon had a dig that enabled setter Steve Korbos to feed Marcin Midura (5 kills, 2 blocks) for a kill, Colon put up a block for a point, Keith MacDonald earned his 7th kill of the match, and Colon blocked for the match. He finished with 3 kills and 3 blocks in the two games.

"When it comes down to the crucial points, we have to learn to play the way we've played in the rest of the game,'' Fair Lawn coach Pete Zisa said. "It's all about playing those big points, we need all cylinders firing.''

"We gained momentum from our hitting as the games went on,'' MacDonald said. "I thought Fair Lawn played well, and our passing got a little shaky at one point. We have to work on that. But we kept swinging and stayed aggressive.''

Middle Paul Konapacki had 6 kills and 3 blocks for the Falcons, who are ranked third in the Powerzonevb.com top 10 and improved to 9-1.

The Falcons will be tested again on Tuesday when they visit No. 1 East Brunswick in a makeup match from last week.

"It's obviously a big game and it'll be intense, we'll be in their place and I'm sure it will be loud,'' Colon said. "But we know the most important thing will be how well we're playing when we get to the state tournament.''

Artem Makarenko led Fair Lawn, now 7-1 and No. 5 in the Powerzonevb.com rankings, with 7 kills. Alex Bylinkin had 5 kills, and Matt Agnew contributed 3. Setter Jon Bashan had 15 assists.

"We still haven't played our best yet,'' Zisa said. "But I saw some good things today. St. Joes
is a real good team with no weak points.''

EB keeps BI Jug

Thanks to Charlie Ginex for the photo (East Brunswick's Kyle Barry sets John McLaughlin in a game against Old Bridge during the Bears Invitational.)

By Fred Siegle

EAST BRUNSWICK - John McLaughlin warmed up his jump serve in East Brunswick's last pool play game at the Bears Invitational. By the time the Bears were in the final, it was on fire.

East Brunswick beat St. Josephs 25-14 in the final on Saturday to keep the B.I. Jug that goes to the tournament winner and remain the only team to capture the title in the event's three-year history. McLaughlin played a huge role in the victory with two aces and nine service points, with most of those coming because of St. Joes errors or off easy defensive plays for the Bears because of the pressure McLaughlin's tough serves put on the Falcons' offense.

"It started working for me in the second Bayonne game (the Bears' last pool-play game), and I just started getting more and more confident in it,'' McLaughlin said. "Once it started working for me, I just kept ripping it.''

McLaughlin, a senior middle blocker, also started for the Bears last year. But he didn't jump serve then.

"I would try it once in a while in practice, but I always hit it out of bounds,'' McLaughlin said. "It would sail all over the place, most of the time into the wall.''

But he stuck with it at practice this year.

"I've been working on it,'' he said. "Today, it started working in that one game. I start out with just a float, and if we get a point off that I'll go with a harder jumper.''

In the final, McLaughlin's first flurry of jump serves came at the start of the game. His fifth point came on an ace that hit the net and trickled over for his second ace and gave the Bears a 7-1 lead. It also forced the Falcons to take a time out, after which they were able to side out on a kill by Keith MacDonald.

McLaughlin also had a four-point streak at the end of the game, all St. Joes' errors, that made the score 24-13. The Bears, who went 11-1 in pool play in the 7-team event, went on to finish the game with a block by Alex Rigley and retain the jug. Senior Sameer Sood of the Bears was named the tournament MVP.

Since the final was only one game, it won't count on either team's record. But the two teams , ranked first and third in the Powerzonevb.com top 10, will meet with even more on the line on Tuesday in a match postponed from last week.

"Playing them (St. Joes) today gives us a chance to see what they have,'' McLaughlin said. "We know they're a good team and won't lay down. We have to come out just as hard on Tuesday.''

St. Joes was erratic all day, going 7-5 in pool play, which was still good enough for the second seed in the playoffs.

"We were kind of chippy all day,'' coach Miguel Cabrita said. "This really doesn't mean anything, win or lose. It was more about feeling each other out to see what each team can do. ''

The Falcons have a tough week, with a home match against No. 5 Fair Lawn on Monday, the match vs. East Brunswick on Tuesday, a meeting with perennial state power Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday, and then a quad match involving the Bears (again), No. 2 Southern, and No. 9 Moorestown on Saturday at Southern.

East Brunswick beat Bayonne (6-6 in pool play, including wins over the Bears and Falcons) in the semifinals, while St. Joes beat Old Bridge (7-5 in pool play). Bayonne beat Bridgewater (5-7) in the quarterfinals, while Old Bridge beat Hillsborough (4-8). West Windsor-Plainsboro South went 3-9 in pool play.

No. 8 Bayonne edges No. 7 St. Peters

By Fred Siegle

Bayonne - Round One of the battle for supremacy in Hudson County, and maybe North Jersey, went to Bayonne.

The Bees earned a 25-18, 19-25, 26-24 victory over St. Peters on Thursday in the first of at least two, and possibly four or more, meetings.

Sophomore Patrick Rusznica and junior Coco Ostorga combined for a block for the match-winning play in the third game. Rusznica finished with a team-high 7 blocks and also had 4 kills. Danny Kochanski (5 blocks) and Justin Beaumont each had 12 kills to lead the Bees' attack.

"It was 18-18 in the third game, and to me it just came down to desire and mental toughness,'' said Bayonne coach Pat Longo, who's team remained unbeaten. "I think it was a great match, it's unfortunate someone had to lose.''

Kochinski and Ostorga combined for a block that gave Bayonne a 23-19 lead in the third game, but St. Peters battled back with five straight points - a great save by libero Kevin McNerney (21 digs), who had a bump-kill from a harsh angle that Bayonne's defense couldn't play, a Bayonne error, an ace by Nick DeBenedictis, a kill by Matt Whitford (15 kills in the match), and a triple block as Kochinski hit out of the middle.

But Bayonne took a time out and stared down the possible game point at 24-23 as Kochanski powered the ball through the block from the right side. A St. Peters error gave Bayonne game point before the block of Whitford by Rusznica and Ostorga.

"We knew they'd set Matt a lot, and he hits hard angle and tries to go around the block,'' Kochinski said.

"We knew where they were going to go, hitting-wise, and they knew where we were going to go,'' Longo said. "Those were two teams that really know each other well.''

Bayonne's passing broke down a bit in the second game, especially against a flurry of floaters by the Marauders. Stan Gasiewski sparked St. Peters with two aces in that game, and also had two more in Game 3. But Bayonne's serve-receive was more consistent in the finale.

"Our passers, especially James (Capello, the Bees' libero) stepped up in the third game,'' Kochanski said. "But we have to work on passing floaters, we're used to balls being pounded at us.''

"We knew if we got back to our style - passing well and aggressive hitting, we'd be fine,'' Longo said. "

Ostorga finished with 7 kills and 11 digs, Krystoph Bogdan chipped in 3 kills, 14 digs and 3 blocks, Capello had 24 digs, and setter Mark Gacki had 27 assists, 18 digs, and 3 blocks.

"I thought we underperformed, we weren't executing,'' St. Peters coach Don Guide said. "We can't let them (Bayonne) lay back and dig balls, and for their size, they put up a good block.''

"The level of play was so high, the balls both teams kept in play were amazing,'' Longo said.

The two teams will meet again on May 10 at St. Peters, will likely face each other again in the Hudson County Tournament, and also could meet in the NJSIAA playoffs at the end of the season.

"I'm happy Bayonne has a good team,'' Guide said. "That's the kind of competition we need here in Hudson County.''

"It was a great game,'' Longo said. "It's the kind we need to see here.''

NEW TOP 10

By Fred Siegle

Here's the new top 10! Don't count on it staying the same, with some big matches this week including St. Joseph at East Brunswick and Fair Lawn at Old Bridge on Monday April 16.

1. East Brunswick (5-0). Preseason ranking: 2. The reasoning - I just can't jump Southern over the Bears unless they either have a head-to-head or common-opponent victory. That said, the Bears have only been tested by Old Bridge so far, while other teams have been getting better competition. They did win the Eastern Tournament on Saturday with a one-game victory over the hosts. While the Eastern event has always been top notch, its quality took a hit this year with most of the state's best teams going to Bloomfield. The Bears step it up a notch this week with matches against St. Joes, Bridgewater and South Brunswick.

2. Southern (9-0). Preseason ranking: 3. The Rams have the most significant win of the season so far after beating previous No. 1 St. Joes on April 10. They also beat ranked teams CBA and St. Peters that day, and also have a win over Williamstown, which is doing well in South Jersey. They lost, 27-25, to St. Joes in the final at Bloomfield on Saturday, but went undefeated against the rest of the high-quality competition. They host a quad with East Brunswick, St. Joes and Moorestown on April 28, another high-quality day that could shake up the rankings.

3. St. Josephs (5-1). Preseason ranking: 1. The victory over Southern in the final at Bloomfield on Saturday can't erase the match loss to the Rams on Tuesday, but it does show the Falcons haven't let it affect them, either. The truth is, any of the top 3 teams can win when they meet, it's simply a matter of who's more at the top of their game. Junior middle Paul Konopacki led St. Joes at Bloomfield with 23 kills for the day. The Falcons also have already beaten top 10 teams Old Bridge, CBA, and St. Peters.

4. Old Bridge (2-2). Preseason ranking: 4. The Knights opened with a brutal schedule, losing to East Brunswick and St. Joes. But they rebounded with two straight victories since, including a
moved star Lance Rogers to left side, and switched junior Eddie quality win over South Brunswick on Friday. After the two losses, coach Andrew HopmanBucior to right side. Bucior responded with 5 kills in the 25-17, 25-14 win over South Brunswick.

5. Fair Lawn (5-0). Preseason ranking: 5. The favorite in the NJSIAA's North Jersey section has already beaten rivals Lakeland and Wayne Hills. The Cutters were the only top 10 team that was inactive on Saturday (it was their prom weekend), but they jump right into the fire on Monday with a visit to No. 4. Old Bridge. Junior right side Matt Agnew had 6 blocks in the 25-20, 25-18 victory over Wayne Hills.

6. CBA (6-2). Preseason ranking: 7. The Colts move up a spot after jumping into the fire at the St. Joes quad on Tuesday and coming out with a victory over the previous No. 6, St. Peters. They lost to St. Joes and Southern that day. CBA takes another shot at Southern today when the Rams visit in Lincroft. Most of the Colts' players participated in a prom (Colts Neck High School) on Friday night, but they still went 4-1 in pool play at the Bloomfield Tournament on Saturday. They were eliminated in a hotly contested playoff game with St. Peters.

7. St. Peters (4-3). Preseason ranking: 6. The Marauders came out on the short end of the quality quad against CBA, St. Joes and Southern, but rebounded with an easy victory over Lincoln on Friday and a strong showing (4-1 in pool play, advancing to the semifinals before losing to St. Joes) at the Bloomfield Tournament. They visit Bayonne in Hudson County's version of St. Joes vs. East Brunswick on Thursday.

8. Bayonne (6-0). Preseason ranking: 8. The Bees have feasted on the weaker teams in Hudson County so far, but face their moment of truth on Thursday when they host St. Peters. They had a strong showing at Bloomfield on Saturday, going 3-2 in pool play and then beating Livingston in the playoffs before being knocked out by St. Joes. They should get a boost this week with the return of right side Coco Ostorga, who missed their games last week and the tournament at Bloomfield while away on a trip.

9. Moorestown (3-0). Preseason ranking: 9. The Quakers squeaked by Clearview on Thursday with an 18-25, 25-23, 26-24 victory. According to a story by Kevin Callahan of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post, the turning point came with the third game tied 23-23. Ryan Tuck had a kill and Christian DePew finished the match with an ace. In yet another big match this week, the Quakers host unbeaten Eastern on Thursday.

10. South Brunswick (5-1). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). The Vikings take the spot of Hillsborough, which they beat 25-17, 23-25, 25-22 on Thursday. Their only loss is to Old Bridge. They also captured the Hillsborough Tournament title with a victory over Vernon in the final. The Vikings get another big test on Thursday when they visit East Brunswick.

Teams to watch: Eastern (still unbeaten and battled their way to the final at its tournament); Clifton (also still unbeaten); Bridgewater-Raritan (went 3-2 in pool play and advanced to the Gold Division playoffs at the Bloomfield Tournament despite playing without regular setter Andrew Conkin); Vernon (5-0 after beating Wayne Valley on Friday); Wayne Valley (tough day in a tough pool (1-4) at Bloomfield Tournament, 4-1 in matches after losing to Vernon on Friday); Don Bosco (the Silver Division champs at Bloomfield, also still unbeaten in matches).

(Thanks to Coach DeYoung for the correction involving the Vernon-Wayne Valley result).
Also, feel free to email me (fsiegle@powerzonevb.com) with any corrections/questions/comments. You can also post comments on the blog.

Pictures from 2006

Check out the website www.sjtphotos.com, there are pictures there from the 2006 East Brunswick Tournament.
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ST JOES WINS AT BLOOMFIELD

By Fred Siegle

BLOOMFIELD - It doesn't completely erase the sting of a 25-8 loss in the second game on Tuesday, but St. Joseph's 27-25 victory over Southern in the final at the Bloomfield Tournament on Saturday definitely helps.

"We played a lot better this time,'' setter Richie McCobb said. "We came together as a team and stuck it out until the end.''

"We know this really means nothing, its just one game and not a match, but they're still a great team and we won this time,'' said middle blocker Drew Colon, who provided the game-winning point with a solo block.

Southern seemed to have momentum in the back-and-fourth final when the Rams took a 23-22 lead on a serve by Nate Lee that hit the top of the net then trickled over for an ace. But Falcons' coach Miguel Cabrita called time out and the Falcons went back to the court and tied the game on a kill by Keith MacDonald.

After the team traded side outs twice, junior Kyle Ditmars ended a long rally with a powerful hit from the left side to end a long rally, then Colon registered his block against Southern senior right side Nolan King, who ran a play in the middle off serve receive.

"I knew Nolan runs middle in that rotation,'' Colon said. "It was basically a guess on my part on where he would be swinging. I won the lottery.''

Most of the St. Joes and Southern players have been friends for several years since they play on the same club teams in the offseason, and they enjoyed the chance to play each other in the final of the 18-team tournament. Both teams went undefeated in pool play (5-0), then beat the other top teams from the 3-pool event on their way to the final.

"It's a fun rivalry between us,'' Colon said. "It's obviously intense, both teams are playing at a high level. But when we play, there's a lot of smiles out there, too. It's fun to play them. There was a play where someone had a big hit and a player on the other team got hit, and I just looked over at Nolan, and we both just laughed.''

St. Joseph beat Bayonne, 25-19, and St. Peters, 25-19, in the playoff quarterfinals and semis. Southern beat Bridgewater-Raritan 25-19 in the quarterfinals and Old Bridge 25-19 in the semis.

The Falcons had a balanced offense throughout the day, with middle Paul Konopacki leading the way with 23 kills, 4 blocks and 4 aces. Ditmars had 19 kills, 5 aces and 14 digs, Colon contributed 19 kills, 2 aces and 20 digs, MacDonald had 17 kills, 5 aces and 22 digs, Eddie Rossiter had 10 kills, 5 aces and 20 digs, and libero Aidan Nemergut had 17 digs.

BLOOMFIELD TOURNAMENT GOLD PLAYOFF AND POOL PLAY RESULTS

GOLD PLAYOFFS

Final: St. Joseph d. Southern, 27-25.

Semifinals: St. Joseph d. St. Peters, 25-21; Southern d. Old Bridge 25-19.

Quarterfinals: St. Joseph d. Bayonne 25-19; St. Peters d. CBA 25-21; Southern d. Bridgewater 25-19; Old Bridge d. Newark Eastside.

Preliminary: Bayonne d. Livingston 25-23.

SILVER PLAYOFF CHAMPION: Don Bosco Prep.

POOL PLAY RESULTS

St. Josephs (5-0): d. Don Bosco 25-17, Newark East Side 25-8, Williamstown 25-13, Bayonne 25-17, Watchung Hills 25-10.

Don Bosco (2-3): lost to St. Joes 17-25, lost to Newark East Side 25-22, d. Williamstown 27-25, lost to Bayonne, 23-25, d. Watchung Hills 25-15.

Newark Eastside (3-2): lost to St. Joes 8-25, d. Don Bosco 25-22, lost to Williamstown 19-25, d. Bayonne, 25-21, d. Watchung Hills 25-12.

Williamstown (1-4): lost to St. Joes, 13-25, lost to Don Bosco 25-27, d. Newark Eastside 25-19, lost to Bayonne 21-25, lost to Watchung Hills 23-25.

Bayonne (3-2): lost to St. Joes, 17-25, d. Don Bosco 25-23, lost to Newark Eastside 21-25, d. Williamstown 25-21, d. Watchung Hills 25-8.

Watchung Hills (1-4): lost to St. Joes 10-25, lost to Don Bosco 15-25, lost to Newark Eastside 12-25, d. Williamstown 25-23, lost to Bayonne 8-25.

Bridgewater-Raritan (3-2): lost to Old Bridge 21-25, lost to St. Peters 16-25, d. Memorial 25-20, d. Bloomfield 25-17, d. Millburn 25-13.

Old Bridge (5-0): d. Bridgewater 25-21, d. St. Peters 25-18, d. Memorial 25-17, d. Bloomfield 25-13, d. Millburn 25-13.

St. Peters (4-1): d. Bridgewater 25-16, lost to Old Bridge 18-25, d. Memorial 25-13, d. Bloomfield 25-18, d. Millburn 25-8.

Memorial (1-4): lost to Bridgewater 20-25, lost to Old Bridge 17-25, lost to St. Peters 13-25, lost to Bloomfield 16-25, d. Millburn 25-22.

Bloomfield (2-3): lost to Bridgewater 17-25, lost to Old Bridge 13-25, lost to St. Peters 18-25, d. Memorial 25-16, d. Millburn 25-15.

Millburn (0-5): lost to Bridgewater 13-25, lost to Old Bridge 13-25, lost to St. Peters 8-25, lost to Memorial 22-25, lost to Bloomfield 15-25.

Southern (5-0): d. Livingston 25-16, d. CBA 25-17, d. J.P. Stevens 25-23, d. Roselle Catholic 25-16, d. Wayne Valley 25-20.

Livingston (3-2): lost to Southern 16-25, lost to CBA 20-25, d. J.P. Stevens 25-20, d. Roselle Catholic 25-13, d. Wayne Valley 27-25.

CBA (4-1): lost to Southern 17-25, d. Livingston 25-20, d. J.P. Stevens 25-20, d. Roselle Catholic 25-17, d. Wayne Valley 27-25.

J.P. Stevens (2-3): lost to Southern 23-25, lost to Livingston 20-25, lost to CBA 20-25, d. Roselle Catholic 25-19, d. Wayne Valley 25-21.

Roselle Catholic (0-5): lost to Southern 16-25, lost to Livingston 13-25, lost to CBA 17-25, lost to J.P. Stevens 19-25, lost to Wayne Valley 19-25.

Wayne Valley (1-4): lost to Southern 20-25, lost to Livingston 25-27, lost to CBA 15-25, lost to J.P. Stevens 21-25, d. Roselle Catholic 25-19.

No. 3 SOUTHERN SWEEPS IN QUAD MATCH

By Fred Siegle

METUCHEN - Southern entered Tuesday's quad match against St. Joseph, St. Peters and CBA - three teams in the Powerzonevb.com state top 10 - as a very good team. The Rams left with a confidence that could help them become a GREAT team. Maybe even great enough to win a state title.

The Rams, No. 3 in the pre-season top 10, emerged as the only unscathed team from the early season battle of titans. St. Joes, which was No. 1 in the pre-season, went 2-1, No. 7 CBA went 1-2, and No. 6 St. Peters was 0-3.

In the premier matchup of the day, Southern beat St. Joes 25-22, 25-8. The key, Rams' coach Eric Maxwell said, was closing out the first game.

"We were up 22-20, and if they had found a way to come back and win, I don't think the second game would have happened that way. We took advantage after winning that close game.''

The Rams opened the day by beat CBA 25-17, 25-10, then earned the victory over St. Joes. They then had a letdown in Game 1 against St. Peter's, losing 25-20, but rebounded to win Games 2 and 3 25-15, 25-13. Maxwell played his backup setter through the entire first game against St. Peters.

"I think it was good for us to lose that game,'' he said. "We're going to have to play three games again this year, so it was good to face that adversity. I didn't particularly like it as it was happening, but when we came back and won, it was a good learning experience. It all worked out in the end.''

In the victory over St. Joes, left side Jeff Elsasser had 6 kills and right side Nolan King had 7, while middles Fran Hodgson and Bryan Batiste helped take the Falcons out of their game with their imposing block. Paul Konopacki led St. Joes with 4 kills.

"We just came ready to play today,'' Elsasser said. "We know St. Joes and their players well, we know their strengths and weaknesses. We just keyed on stopping Keith (MacDonald) and Drew (Colon) and we served at their weak spots. We know they have good middles so we tried to double block on them and then did the best we could on the outsides.''

Against CBA, Hodgson had 6 kills and 3 blocks, Elsasser contributed 5 kills, a block and 5 digs, King had 4 kills and 2 blocks, and setter Steve Vaughan dished out 17 assists and added 2 kills and 8 digs. In the win over St. Peters, Elsasser had 10 kills and 15 digs, Hodgson had 6 kills and 3 blocks, King added 6 kills, and Batiste contributed 3 blocks.

"When you have players like Jeff, Nolan and Fran - those are three seniors who are quality, all-around players - there are times you're team is going to be great,'' Maxwell said. "When those guys are on, we can beat anybody. They can carry us.''

Maxwell summed up Southern's performance pretty easily: "We had a pretty good day here.''

But he knows it's still early in the season. "I know we're good enough to play anybody,'' Maxwell said. "It feels good winning out here, but if we had lost, it wouldn't have changed anything, we'd go on from here and keep working and try to find the way to beat these type of teams. We're going to keep trying to improve and try to maintain the level we played at today.''

St. Joes rebounded from the loss to Southern by beating CBA 25-20 25-18. The Falcons opened the day by beating St. Peters, 25-21, 25-19. In one of the strangest games ever, St. Joes started the first game with an 18-0 lead before St. Peters battled back.

Marcin Midura had 7 aces, 9 kills and 8 digs against No. 6 St. Peters, while MacDonald added 6 kills. Against CBA, MacDonald had 7 kills, and Colon and Konopacki each had 5.

Right side Brendan Corley had 7 kills to lead CBA in its win against St. Peters.

"We know what it takes now to beat good teams,'' setter Austin Hagaman said. "We have to go home now and work on our defense, work on our plays. We have to get quicker with our offense.''

St. Peters coach Don Guide said the experience of playing the top teams will help his team in the long run as well. "We know now we're not passing hard jump serves real well, we just haven't had a chance to play that kind of competition. We see what we have to do.''

No. 1 ST. JOSEPHS BEATS NO. 4 OLD BRIDGE

By Fred Siegle

OLD BRIDGE - When it won the state championship last year, St. Joseph's volleyball team set the bar high for all the school's future teams to measure their success against.

And coach Miguel Cabrita said his team, No. 1 in the Powerzonevb.com State Top 10 preseason rankings, started the 2007 campaign in mid-season form after beating No.4 Old Bridge 25-18, 25-20 on Thursday.

Of course, the Falcons have plenty of weapons, with middles Drew Colon (7 kills) and Paul Konapacki (4 kills, 5 blocks), and right side Keith MacDonald (10 kills) back from last year and new stars Marcin Midura (4 kills, 1 ace in one game), Kyle Ditmars (2 kills), Eddie Rossiter (2 kills) and Aidan Nemergut (19 digs).

"I'm happy,'' Cabrita said. "My thing - I know we have a great offense. It's ball control and passing I was looking for today. And to me, that was at mid-season level. I think we played well as a team. But we have to keep improving from here.''

Old Bridge, meanwhile, is in need of a break after starting the season with losses to No. 1 St. Joes and No. 2 East Brunswick. Lance Rogers led the Knights with 8 kills, but that was off 21 attempts. Joe Nemeth had 5 kills and Elvis Obi had 4.

St. Joes hopes to keep up the pace on Tuesday when it hosts No. 3 Southern, No. 6 St. Peters, and No. 7 CBA on Tuesday in a quad match starting at 10 a.m.

BAYONNE DEFEATS MEMORIAL

By Fred Siegle

BAYONNE - Even after a dominating 25-10 Game 2 win completed their victory over Memorial, Bayonne's players weren't satisfied.

"We can play better,'' senior Justin Beaumont said. "Our passing was terrible today.''

Even so, the Bees' offense was nearly flawless in that second game, which completed the two-set win after they won 25-20 in the first game. Beaumont finished with a match-high eight kills, four in each game.

Setter Mark Gacki spread the ball around well, with right side Coco Ostorga (6 kills, two aces in the match) and middle Danny Kochanski (7 kills, 2 blocks) also each posting four kills in the game.

Beaumont put an exclamation point on the victory with the final kill after a dig by libero James Capello. The Bees, No. 8 in the Powerzonevb.com state top 10, are now 2-0. Beaumont said everything the team does now is aimed toward preparing for important matches down the road. The Bees play Hudson County rival St. Peter's Prep in the first of at least two meetings on April 19th, and also are looking forward to the state tournament.

"We're trying to work on plays, make our offense quicker,'' Beaumont said. "So that when we get further into the season, we're ready for tough competition. That match on April 19th really determines what we'll be doing the rest of the season.''

The Tigers, who fell to 1-2 (their other loss is to St. Peter's), were led by David Lopez, who had four kills and two blocks. Marvin Regalado contributed three kills and two blocks.

No. 2 East Brunswick defeats No. 4 Old Bridge

By Fred Siegle

EAST BRUNSWICK – It may be better known for its floor defense, but East Brunswick’s volleyball team can also put up a pretty decent block when it’s necessary.

The Bears, ranked No. 2 in the Powerzonevb.com state rankings, registered five blocks in the second game as they beat No. 4 Old Bridge 25-22, 25-19 in the season opener for both teams.

Of course, floor defense and their control on serve receive – East Brunswick had a quality pass on nearly every Old Bridge serve - also played a big part in the Bears’ win.

“I think our passing and defense were the key to the win,’’ said senior right side Travis Heilman, who led the Bears with eight kills and combined with teammates on three of the blocks. “We were a little sloppy today, but it wasn’t bad for the first match of the season.’’

Two of the blocks came late in the second game against Lance Rogers, Old Bridge’s 6-8 go-to hitter who finished with 9 kills. John McLaughlin and Eric Corpus teamed for the first, stopping a 10-ball attack by Rogers to give East Brunswick a 20-13 lead. Alex Rigley and Heilman combined for the second, which put the Bears on the verge of victory at 24-19.

While Old Bridge - which also features 6-5 middle Elvis Obi (5 kills), 6-2 middle Joe Nemeth (3 kills), and 6-2 outside Tom Mullan along with Rogers - is one of the taller teams in the state, East Brunswick is relatively undersized, with four starters 6-foot or under.

“We knew the ball was going to Lance more than the other hitters, especially at the end of the game, we just had to wait patiently and time it well,’’ Heilman said. “We’re small, but athletic. Defense is a big part of our game.’’

Sameer Sood finished off the win with his 7th kill after another of the Bears’ many defensive plays. Eric Corpus had 6 kills and McLaughlin and Rigley each had 3 for East Brunswick.

It doesn’t get any easier for Old Bridge, which next plays against No. 1 St. Joseph in a home match on Thursday.

“I thought we were a little confused about our assignments on back-row defense,’’ coach Andrew Hopman said. “We’re trying a different offense and defense than we used last year, so these things are going to happen at the beginning of the season. I know it’s going to take time. Hopefully, we’ll be better at the end of the season.’’

BOYS PRESEASON TOP TEN

POWERZONEVB.COM PRESEASON TOP 10

Another year, time for another Top 10. Some quick notes:

There seem to be a lot more quality teams this year. Most of the top teams are better, some are greatly improved. The senior class this year might be the best ever. There are 11 new teams this year, with 46 in the North section and 46 in the Central-South section when it comes time for the NJSIAA Tournament. The area designated as Central-South by the NJSIAA continues to include most of the top teams.

1. St Joseph.
2. East Brunswick
3. Southern
4. Old Bridge
5. Fair Lawn
6. St. Peter's
7. CBA
8. Bayonne
9. Moorestown
10. Hillsboro

1. St Joseph. The Falcons have three key starters - middles Drew Colon and Paul Konopacki and right side Keith MacDonald - back from the team that won the state championship last year. And they are probably even better than they were. Transfer Marcin Midura, a 6-4 left side, is an impact player and one of the biggest hitters and has one of the best jump serves in the state. Junior Eddie Rossiter, a year-round player, will be the other left side. Senior Aidan Nemergut will play libero and anchor the defense.. The only question mark for the Falcons is who the setter will be, but either senior Richie McCobb or junior Steve Brandenburg will be able to get the job done once coach Miguel Cabrita decides. The other top contenders should be wary after St. Joes, which has always had the talent, finally put it all together and finished strong last year. They open the season at No. 4 Old Bridge on Thursday at 5 p.m., then host a quad match with St. Peter's, Southern and CBA on Monday, April 9.



2. East Brunswick. As usual, the Bears will field a quality lineup and will have plenty of depth on the bench. They have more seniors who are top players - Eric Corpus (left side), Travis Heilman (left or right side) Kyle Barry (setter), John McLaughlin (middle), Dan Korten (libero or left side), Sameer Sood (left or right side), Brian Gieser (middle or setter) and Julian Millan (libero) - than they have starting positions. And they have juniors - Alex Rigley (middle), Christian Portera (middle or left side) and Greg Zegarek (left side), and Brian Murphy (setter/right side) - who are also top players who could start. Sophomore Mike Kvidahl is 6-6 and athletic and plays year-round and is likely to work his way into the starting lineup, probably at right side, sometime during the season. The Bears' bench at any given time would be a top 10 team in the state. The biggest problem they face is a tendency to falter at the end of the season that has developed over the past few years.


3. Southern. I may have been a year too early when the Rams started as the pre-season No. 1 team last year, because too many of their key players were juniors. This year, those players are seniors and they may be ready. Southern is big - Fran Hodgson (middle) is 6-6, Bryan Batiste (middle) is 6-5, Jeff Elsasser (left side) is 6-4, and Nolan King (right side) and Steve Bischoff (left side) are both 6-3. Hodgson, King and Elsasser have years of experience. Hodgson will be a force blocking and hitting, King is a big lefty hitter from the opposite position, and Elsasser is probably the most improved player in the state and might have the best jump serve when he's on. Setter Steve Vaughan, a junior, has worked hard in the offseason.



4. Old Bridge. The Knights have the state's most dominant player, 6-8 right side Lance Rogers, and two top-of-the line middles in seniors Joe Nemeth and Elvis Obi. Libero Scott Behnke also returns from last year's team, which made it to the South semifinals with a loss to East Brunswick. Setter Matt Guzzo, a junior, has good hands and instincts. The outsides, seniors Eddie Bucior and Tom Mullan, are unproven, but good athletes. The Knights joined the state's elite teams last year, and this year they'll show they're likely to stay. They get things started with a bang, since their first match is Monday (April 2) at East Brunswick at 10 a.m., then they host St. Joes on Thursday at 5 p.m.



5. Fair Lawn. The Cutters lost only one starting senior from last year's team, which lost in the North semifinals in an upset against Clifton and will be the odds on favorite to win the North crown. The team will be led by senior setter John Bashan, one of the best in the state, and Artem Makarenko, who will play either middle or left side.



6. St. Peter's. The Marauders have a go-to hitter in senior Matt Whitford and one of the state's best passers and defensive players in libero Kevin McNerney. The rest of the starting lineup, setter Gil Estupinian, left side hitter Jerry Santer, and middles Nick DeBenadictis, and Miles McCann, are all solid. The Marauders lost the Hudson County Tournament title to Bayonne last year, so one of their first orders of business will be to get that title back. The Mauraders will get a good test on Monday, April 9, when they face St. Joes, Southern and CBA in a quad match at St. Joes.



7. CBA. After a 14-6 season last year, the Colts are ready to join the state's elite. Senior Brendan Corley was the setter last year but moves to right side and will be the team's go-to hitter, including when he's in the back row. Senior Austin Hagaman takes over at setter and is one of the state's best. Tom Celiano (middle) and Adam Smith (left side) also are returning starters from last year. Smith has one of the most consistent and tough jump serves in the state. Junior Justin Legrottaglie (middle) and sophomore Neil Slattery (left side) will be the other starters. All the CBA starters played club during the off-season, most of them on the same team.



8. Bayonne. The Bees upset St. Peter's in the Hudson County Tournament last year, and have almost their entire starting team back. Their one drawback is lack of height - they may field a starting lineup with no player over 6-feet tall - but they'll try to make up for that with speed and control. They have legitimate hitters in senior Justin Beaumont (left side), junior Coco Ostorga (right side) junior Danny Kochanski (middle) and junior Krystoph Bogdan (middle) for senior setter Mark Gacki to feed, and Gacki is very good at spreading the ball around. Senior James Capello (libero) and either Michael Vasquez (senior) or Michal Kucza (sophomore) will be the other left side. The Bees worked hard in the off-season, playing in several leagues and also playing for club teams, and that should help pay off.



9. Moorestown. The Quakers finished 17-10 last year and has a solid starting lineup which could help the team become the leaders in the Olympic Conference down in South Jersey, where the competition for the top spot will include Eastern and Cherry Hill West. The starters will include seniors Jon Pelosi (left side) Andrew Sexton (middle) and Ryan Tuck (right side), and juniors Joe Aaron (left side), Skyler Heyman (setter), Will Cosden (middle)and Kyle Sutcliffe (defensive specialist). They'll be seeking to repeat as Olympic Conference Patriot Division champions. The Quakers will get a feel for where they stand against the rest of the state when they play in a quad match at Southern on April 28, where they'll also face East Brunswick and St. Joes.



10. Hillsboro. Only a third-year program, Hillsboro seems ready to make a jump into the group of top teams after failing to qualify for the state tournament by one game last year. Seven of the team's nine varsity players also played soccer. Setter Jared Himelfarb is only a sophomore, but is very athletic. Middles Joe Carotozolo and Sean Kelly are both solid hitters and blockers. Chris Fedroff, Alex Miska and Mike Argueta are solid passers and hitters from the outside. Hillsboro hosts its own tournament on April 14th, with Vernon, Passiac Valley, South Brunswick, Lincoln, Ferris, Toms River North, Hunterdon Central and West Windsor Plainsboro North all set to attend. They'll also play at the East Brunswick Tournament on April 21.



Teams to watch: Bridgewater (coach Corey Romanak always has his team playing at the top of its game at the end of the season and has returning starters Chris Metzger, Andrew Conkin, and Norbert Mikolajewski to rely on). Passaic Valley (a team that has worked hard in the off-season). Lakeland (the Lancers were near the top last year, and have a good group of players to try to blend together this year). Eastern (Brian Bertucci returns for his senior year with the Vikings). South Brunswick (This team started to put things together last year and has a strong core back from that team). Clifton (the Mustangs could be ready to make an impact when the state tournament rolls around). Livingston (Brandt Grobies is one of the state's best setters).