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.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Monday, April 2, 2007
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.’’
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. 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).
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.
- St Joseph.
- East Brunswick
- Southern
- Old Bridge
- Fair Lawn
- St. Peter's
- CBA
- Bayonne
- Moorestown
- 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).
Friday, June 16, 2006
St. Josephs wins state crown
St. Josephs wins state crown
By Fred Siegle
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - When the game, match, and state title were on the line and senior John Moll was in the back row, Drew Colon wanted to be the hitter.
"I hurt my finger pointing it into my chest, saying "give me the ball,''' said Colon, who had the final three kills for his team in St. Josephs' 29-27 third-game victory over Bridgewater in the NJSIAA Final on Friday night. "We go with who's hot, and it seemed like down the stretch, that was me and John.''
The first of the three kills gave his team a 27-26 lead. After a kill by Chris Allen tied the game, the second came from the left side on serve receive to make it 28-27 in favor of the Falcons (30-4). The third came out of middle with Moll also in the front row, so Colon had a single block after Keith MacDonald hand-passed a free-ball to give setter Matt Scott his choice in who to set. The Falcons used lessons they learned during the course of the season to carry them to the title.
"I think I play better when there's more pressure,'' Colon said. "Mr. Cabrita (the St. Joes coach) told us to keep swinging. In our loss to East Brunswick in the GMC's (Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament) we got near the end and played tentatively. We weren't going to do that again.''Moll and Colon each had 13 kills to lead the Falcons. Moll said his team was ready for the pressure of the back-and-fourth third game because they had played Bishop Hendrickson, the defending Rhode Island state champions, to a 30-28 victory in the finals of a tournament in that state in April.
"This was the same type of game,'' Moll said. "That one went to 30 points. We've been in this situation before, when you get to the end you have to keep siding out. We knew what we had to do.''The Falcons had won the first game 25-16, but Bridgewater-Raritan, which has won six overall state titles, roared back in the second to win 25-17. Senior star Chris Allen had 8 of his 22 kills in that game, while junior Chris Metzger contributed 5 of his 13. Allen finished with over 1000 kills for his career.
"I didn't think Chris could take over like that,'' Moll said. "But that team (Bridgewater) played great. Their defense was getting everything up.''
Bridgewater-Raritan came into the match with a 17-9 record and had battled its way to the NJSIAA North section title as the No. 7 seed. But St. Joes' players and coaches knew not to take the Panthers lightly."They played the kind of match you expect to see out of Bridgewater in the state final,'' Cabrita said. "(Bridgewater coach) Corey's (Romanak) team is always a legit team.''"After the first game, we just wanted to start the match over,'' Allen said. "We just went into the second game saying "Ok, we need to win two games. That second game was just completely different. We played with confidence, like we did in the semifinals (the win over Clifton in the North final), and we just tried to keep it going. In the third game, we just messed up on a couple of plays, and St. Joes played a great match.''By the second and third game, Bridgewater had eased into its strategy of getting the ball to Allen and Metzger. It seemed setter Andrew Conkin - or whoever set, since he made some of the digs, and some others weren't always controlled - could always find one of the go-to hitters after every defensive play.
"They were really scrappy,'' Colon said. "And it seemed like there was a magnet on the ball or something, they always got the ball to those guys.''
Bridgewater led the third game by as many as four points (14-10 after a block by Metzger), but two kills by Dan Deverin and a Bridgewater error left the score tied at 17. Bridgewater was two sideouts away from winning after a kill by Allen made it 23-21, but a Bridgewater player went under the net and Moll registered a kill to tie the game. Allen had a kill on a 10-ball, but another 10-ball hit was out by about a foot to tie the game at 24. St. Joes took the advantage on a Bridgewater error on the next play, then the teams traded sideouts until Colon's final two kills."We had some rough patches,'' Cabrita said. "But we held strong both mentally and physically and got the job done.''"This feels great,'' Moll said. "I remember as a freshman seeing our team lose in the final, and I didn't want to be in that same situation. And we did it against a great team, a team that's used to winning in this spot.''
"Coming off a state championship (in 2005), to make it back here after all the injuries we had this year, I couldn't be more proud of our team,'' Romanak said. "We kept our composure tonight, we not only made it to the final as an underdog, but we pushed a real good team to three games. That third game was a great final, it was back and forth the whole way. I couldn't ask more of my kids.''Senior libero Kurt Backlund had 19 digs for the Falcons - many off big hits from Allen and Metzger - while Deverin, a senior left side, contributed 7 kills and 8 digs. Setter Matt Scott had 42 assists and 8 digs, and MacDonald, a junior right side, had 7 kills and 11 digs. Senior Alan Zastrow (right side and left side), sophomore Paul Konopacki (middle) and junior Aidan Nemergut (serving specialist) also made some key plays in the victory."We've said all year we're a team,'' Cabrita said. "I'm really happy with the way my guys hung in there with all the pressure on them.''
By Fred Siegle
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - When the game, match, and state title were on the line and senior John Moll was in the back row, Drew Colon wanted to be the hitter.
"I hurt my finger pointing it into my chest, saying "give me the ball,''' said Colon, who had the final three kills for his team in St. Josephs' 29-27 third-game victory over Bridgewater in the NJSIAA Final on Friday night. "We go with who's hot, and it seemed like down the stretch, that was me and John.''
The first of the three kills gave his team a 27-26 lead. After a kill by Chris Allen tied the game, the second came from the left side on serve receive to make it 28-27 in favor of the Falcons (30-4). The third came out of middle with Moll also in the front row, so Colon had a single block after Keith MacDonald hand-passed a free-ball to give setter Matt Scott his choice in who to set. The Falcons used lessons they learned during the course of the season to carry them to the title.
"I think I play better when there's more pressure,'' Colon said. "Mr. Cabrita (the St. Joes coach) told us to keep swinging. In our loss to East Brunswick in the GMC's (Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament) we got near the end and played tentatively. We weren't going to do that again.''Moll and Colon each had 13 kills to lead the Falcons. Moll said his team was ready for the pressure of the back-and-fourth third game because they had played Bishop Hendrickson, the defending Rhode Island state champions, to a 30-28 victory in the finals of a tournament in that state in April.
"This was the same type of game,'' Moll said. "That one went to 30 points. We've been in this situation before, when you get to the end you have to keep siding out. We knew what we had to do.''The Falcons had won the first game 25-16, but Bridgewater-Raritan, which has won six overall state titles, roared back in the second to win 25-17. Senior star Chris Allen had 8 of his 22 kills in that game, while junior Chris Metzger contributed 5 of his 13. Allen finished with over 1000 kills for his career.
"I didn't think Chris could take over like that,'' Moll said. "But that team (Bridgewater) played great. Their defense was getting everything up.''
Bridgewater-Raritan came into the match with a 17-9 record and had battled its way to the NJSIAA North section title as the No. 7 seed. But St. Joes' players and coaches knew not to take the Panthers lightly."They played the kind of match you expect to see out of Bridgewater in the state final,'' Cabrita said. "(Bridgewater coach) Corey's (Romanak) team is always a legit team.''"After the first game, we just wanted to start the match over,'' Allen said. "We just went into the second game saying "Ok, we need to win two games. That second game was just completely different. We played with confidence, like we did in the semifinals (the win over Clifton in the North final), and we just tried to keep it going. In the third game, we just messed up on a couple of plays, and St. Joes played a great match.''By the second and third game, Bridgewater had eased into its strategy of getting the ball to Allen and Metzger. It seemed setter Andrew Conkin - or whoever set, since he made some of the digs, and some others weren't always controlled - could always find one of the go-to hitters after every defensive play.
"They were really scrappy,'' Colon said. "And it seemed like there was a magnet on the ball or something, they always got the ball to those guys.''
Bridgewater led the third game by as many as four points (14-10 after a block by Metzger), but two kills by Dan Deverin and a Bridgewater error left the score tied at 17. Bridgewater was two sideouts away from winning after a kill by Allen made it 23-21, but a Bridgewater player went under the net and Moll registered a kill to tie the game. Allen had a kill on a 10-ball, but another 10-ball hit was out by about a foot to tie the game at 24. St. Joes took the advantage on a Bridgewater error on the next play, then the teams traded sideouts until Colon's final two kills."We had some rough patches,'' Cabrita said. "But we held strong both mentally and physically and got the job done.''"This feels great,'' Moll said. "I remember as a freshman seeing our team lose in the final, and I didn't want to be in that same situation. And we did it against a great team, a team that's used to winning in this spot.''
"Coming off a state championship (in 2005), to make it back here after all the injuries we had this year, I couldn't be more proud of our team,'' Romanak said. "We kept our composure tonight, we not only made it to the final as an underdog, but we pushed a real good team to three games. That third game was a great final, it was back and forth the whole way. I couldn't ask more of my kids.''Senior libero Kurt Backlund had 19 digs for the Falcons - many off big hits from Allen and Metzger - while Deverin, a senior left side, contributed 7 kills and 8 digs. Setter Matt Scott had 42 assists and 8 digs, and MacDonald, a junior right side, had 7 kills and 11 digs. Senior Alan Zastrow (right side and left side), sophomore Paul Konopacki (middle) and junior Aidan Nemergut (serving specialist) also made some key plays in the victory."We've said all year we're a team,'' Cabrita said. "I'm really happy with the way my guys hung in there with all the pressure on them.''
2006 FINAL TOP 10
2006 FINAL TOP 10
By Fred Siegle
Final Top ten is based on entire season
1. St. Josephs. Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Week Four: 1. Week Five: 1. Week Six: 2. The Falcons capped their awesome season by winning the state title with a three-set (29-27 in the third game) victory over Bridgewater. They beat East Brunswick for the NJSIAA South/Central title, gaining a split (2-2) in the four games between the two top teams. The Falcons finished with a 30-4 record after playing the toughest schedule in the state, with victories over the top five teams in the final rankings.
2. East Brunswick. Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Week Four: 3. Week Five: 4. Week Six: 1. The Bears ascended to the top spot by beating St. Joes for the Greater Middlesex title in mid-May, but were eliminated in the South/Central title game by the Falcons. They finished the season with a 27-3 record and three wins and one loss against Old Bridge. Their victory over Old Bridge in the South/Central semis was probably the best match of the season.
3. Old Bridge. Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Week Four: 2. Week Five: 3. Week Six: 3. The Knights became a state power behind a solid core of veterans who were playing together for the third year. They beat Southern, East Brunswick once, and Fair Lawn, which for most of the season was the top team in North Jersey, and finished with a 24-7 record.
4. Southern. Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Week Four: 6. Week Five: 2. Week Six: Four. The reasoning is simple: The Rams beat Bridgewater during the season. They both lost to the same team (St. Josephs) in the state tournament. They finished 27-6, with all the losses coming against the top three teams.
5. Bridgewater. Preseason rank: 10. Week One: 7. Week Two: 7. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: Not ranked. Week Six: Not ranked. The Panthers turned their season around in the second half, rebounding from a 6-9 start to finish 17-10. They emerged with the NJSIAA’s North Tournament title and almost took their seventh overall state crown, losing to St. Josephs, 16-25, 25-17, 27-29. As the No. 7 seed, they cruised through the North playoffs, beating No. 2 Lakeland, No. 3 St. Peters, and No. 5 Clifton to capture the title.
6. Lakeland. Preseason rank: not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: not ranked. Week Two: Not ranked. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: 8. Week Six: 7. The Lancers lost to the same team – Bridgewater – as Clifton in the state tournament. They won the Passaic County crown, beating Wayne Valley, which knocked Clifton out of that tournament. After losing two of their first three matches, the Lancers went on a 19-match winning streak that was ended by Bridgewater in the North quarterfinals and finished 20-3.
7. Clifton. Preseason rank: not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: Not ranked. Week Two: Not ranked. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: Not ranked. Week Six: Not ranked. After an unspectacular regular season, the Mustangs made a strong run in the state playoffs, beating No. 4 seed Wayne Valley and No. 1 Fair Lawn on their way to the title game, where they lost to Bridgewater. Clifton lost to Passaic, Don Bosco, East Brunswick, Fair Lawn and Wayne Valley during the regular season, but had victories over Eastern, Don Bosco, Passaic, and Bridgwater, which helped it earn the No. 5 seed in the North playoffs.
8. Fair Lawn. Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Week Four: 4. Week Five: 5. Week Six: Five. The Cutters were the undisputed top seed in the North playoffs after dominating play in that area (Their only losses prior to the start of the tournament were to St. Joes, Old Bridge and Southern, three of the four top south teams). Were eliminated from the North by Clifton, which they had beaten during the regular season.
9. Eastern. Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Week Four: 5. Week Five: 9. Week Six: 8. The Vikings were the top team in the Olympic Conference, but they never seemed to find their rhythm during the season. The best team they beat was St. Peters, and that was in the first week of the season. They were seeded No. 5 in the South/Central playoffs and were eliminated by No. 4 Southern.
10. St. Peters Prep. Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two: 9. Week Three: 8. Week Four: 8. Week Five: 10. Week Six: 9. The Marauders were cruising along through the season but hit a rough spot at the end, losing to Bayonne in the Hudson County Tournament final, and Bridgewater in the state semifinals.Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>
By Fred Siegle
Final Top ten is based on entire season
- St. Josephs.
- East Brunswick
- Old Bridge
- Southern
- Bridgewater
- Lakeland
- Clifton
- Fair Lawn
- Eastern
- Peter’s Prep
1. St. Josephs. Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Week Four: 1. Week Five: 1. Week Six: 2. The Falcons capped their awesome season by winning the state title with a three-set (29-27 in the third game) victory over Bridgewater. They beat East Brunswick for the NJSIAA South/Central title, gaining a split (2-2) in the four games between the two top teams. The Falcons finished with a 30-4 record after playing the toughest schedule in the state, with victories over the top five teams in the final rankings.
2. East Brunswick. Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Week Four: 3. Week Five: 4. Week Six: 1. The Bears ascended to the top spot by beating St. Joes for the Greater Middlesex title in mid-May, but were eliminated in the South/Central title game by the Falcons. They finished the season with a 27-3 record and three wins and one loss against Old Bridge. Their victory over Old Bridge in the South/Central semis was probably the best match of the season.
3. Old Bridge. Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Week Four: 2. Week Five: 3. Week Six: 3. The Knights became a state power behind a solid core of veterans who were playing together for the third year. They beat Southern, East Brunswick once, and Fair Lawn, which for most of the season was the top team in North Jersey, and finished with a 24-7 record.
4. Southern. Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Week Four: 6. Week Five: 2. Week Six: Four. The reasoning is simple: The Rams beat Bridgewater during the season. They both lost to the same team (St. Josephs) in the state tournament. They finished 27-6, with all the losses coming against the top three teams.
5. Bridgewater. Preseason rank: 10. Week One: 7. Week Two: 7. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: Not ranked. Week Six: Not ranked. The Panthers turned their season around in the second half, rebounding from a 6-9 start to finish 17-10. They emerged with the NJSIAA’s North Tournament title and almost took their seventh overall state crown, losing to St. Josephs, 16-25, 25-17, 27-29. As the No. 7 seed, they cruised through the North playoffs, beating No. 2 Lakeland, No. 3 St. Peters, and No. 5 Clifton to capture the title.
6. Lakeland. Preseason rank: not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: not ranked. Week Two: Not ranked. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: 8. Week Six: 7. The Lancers lost to the same team – Bridgewater – as Clifton in the state tournament. They won the Passaic County crown, beating Wayne Valley, which knocked Clifton out of that tournament. After losing two of their first three matches, the Lancers went on a 19-match winning streak that was ended by Bridgewater in the North quarterfinals and finished 20-3.
7. Clifton. Preseason rank: not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: Not ranked. Week Two: Not ranked. Week Three: Not ranked. Week Four: Not ranked. Week Five: Not ranked. Week Six: Not ranked. After an unspectacular regular season, the Mustangs made a strong run in the state playoffs, beating No. 4 seed Wayne Valley and No. 1 Fair Lawn on their way to the title game, where they lost to Bridgewater. Clifton lost to Passaic, Don Bosco, East Brunswick, Fair Lawn and Wayne Valley during the regular season, but had victories over Eastern, Don Bosco, Passaic, and Bridgwater, which helped it earn the No. 5 seed in the North playoffs.
8. Fair Lawn. Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Week Four: 4. Week Five: 5. Week Six: Five. The Cutters were the undisputed top seed in the North playoffs after dominating play in that area (Their only losses prior to the start of the tournament were to St. Joes, Old Bridge and Southern, three of the four top south teams). Were eliminated from the North by Clifton, which they had beaten during the regular season.
9. Eastern. Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Week Four: 5. Week Five: 9. Week Six: 8. The Vikings were the top team in the Olympic Conference, but they never seemed to find their rhythm during the season. The best team they beat was St. Peters, and that was in the first week of the season. They were seeded No. 5 in the South/Central playoffs and were eliminated by No. 4 Southern.
10. St. Peters Prep. Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two: 9. Week Three: 8. Week Four: 8. Week Five: 10. Week Six: 9. The Marauders were cruising along through the season but hit a rough spot at the end, losing to Bayonne in the Hudson County Tournament final, and Bridgewater in the state semifinals.Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>
Friday, May 12, 2006
Powerzonevb.com Week Six Top 10 Rankings
powerzonevb.com Week Six Top 10
Week 6 Top 10
1. East Brunswick (17-2). Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Week Four: 3. Last Week: 4. The Bears become the latest team to take over the top spot after beating the previous No. 1, St. Joseph’s in a three-gamer on Monday. They await the results of Tuesday’s game between St. Joes and Old Bridge to find out their seeding for the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
2. St. Joseph’s (20-2). Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Week Four: 1. Last Week: 1. The Falcons suffered their first loss to a New Jersey team on Monday when they were beaten by East Brunswick.
3. Old Bridge (19-3). Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Week Four: 2. Last Week: 3. With the way the top four teams have been playing musical chairs, it’s very possible the Knights could take over the top spot on Tuesday by beating St. Joseph’s. A victory in that match would mean they’ve beaten East Brunswick, St. Joes and Southern in their most recent meetings with those teams. If they lose, the stay right where the are.
4. Southern (24-4). Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Week Four: 6. Last Week: 2. The Rams dropped a three-gamer to Old Bridge in the final of their tournament on May 6. They beat Williamstown 25-15, 25-10 on Thursday.
5. Fair Lawn (17-3). Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Week Four: 4. Last Week: 5. The Cutters have rebounded from a tough day at the Super Six Showcase with five straight wins, including a 25-14, 26-24 victory over Livingston on Tuesday.
6. Don Bosco Prep (15-0). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: 10. Week Four: 10. Last Week: 7. The Ironmen continued their rise with an 18-25, 26-24, 25-23 victory over Montclair on Monday.
7. Lakeland (15-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Week Four: unranked. Last Week: 8. The Lancers haven’t lost since a 1-2 start in the first week of the season. They handled Passaic, 25-16, 26-24 on Wednesday in the Passaic County Tournament semifinals.
8. Eastern (18-3). Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Week Four: 5. Last Week: 9. Brian Bertucci had 7 kills and three blocks as the Vikings beat Moorestown 25-15, 25-14 on Thursday.
9. St. Peters Prep (20-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two: 9. Week Three: 8. Week Four: 8. Last Week: 10. The Marauders host their tournament today, with a field that includes No. 2. St. Josephs.
10. West Windsor-Plainsboro South (12-5). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Week Four: unranked. Last Week: unranked (teams to watch). The Pirates beat Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, May 4. Bridgewater beat last week’s No. 6 team, CBA, on Thursday.
Teams to watch: Wayne Valley (big win over Clifton in Passaic semis on Wednesday. They face No. 7 Lakeland in the final tonight at Clifton); Bridgewater-Raritan (defending champs likely clinched a state tournament berth with 25-17, 25-18 win over CBA on Thursday); J.P. Stevens (likely to earn fourth seed in highly competitive GMC tournament); Clifton (reached Passaic County semis before slipping against Wayne Valley); Passaic (the other Passaic County semifinalist).
NOTES
All’s Wellington: Add Lakeland coach Russ Kniewel to the Wellington Perez fan club. Perez had 23 kills and 3 aces against the Lancers in Lakeland’s 13-25, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Newark East Side on Thursday. He also had 19 kills in East Side’s 25-21, 25-12 win over West Essex on Tuesday.
“I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t want to play them (Newark East Side) again,’’ Kniewel said. “That team is going to be a tough out in the state tournament. Out of the players I’ve seen, he’s the best player in North Jersey, he can do everything – serve, pass, block and hit. The way we beat them was we didn’t serve him.’’
Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>
Week 6 Top 10
- East Brunswick
- St. Josephs
- Old Bridge
- Southern
- Fair Lawn
- Don Bosco
- Lakeland
- Eastern
- Peter’s Prep
- West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
1. East Brunswick (17-2). Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Week Four: 3. Last Week: 4. The Bears become the latest team to take over the top spot after beating the previous No. 1, St. Joseph’s in a three-gamer on Monday. They await the results of Tuesday’s game between St. Joes and Old Bridge to find out their seeding for the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
2. St. Joseph’s (20-2). Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Week Four: 1. Last Week: 1. The Falcons suffered their first loss to a New Jersey team on Monday when they were beaten by East Brunswick.
3. Old Bridge (19-3). Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Week Four: 2. Last Week: 3. With the way the top four teams have been playing musical chairs, it’s very possible the Knights could take over the top spot on Tuesday by beating St. Joseph’s. A victory in that match would mean they’ve beaten East Brunswick, St. Joes and Southern in their most recent meetings with those teams. If they lose, the stay right where the are.
4. Southern (24-4). Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Week Four: 6. Last Week: 2. The Rams dropped a three-gamer to Old Bridge in the final of their tournament on May 6. They beat Williamstown 25-15, 25-10 on Thursday.
5. Fair Lawn (17-3). Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Week Four: 4. Last Week: 5. The Cutters have rebounded from a tough day at the Super Six Showcase with five straight wins, including a 25-14, 26-24 victory over Livingston on Tuesday.
6. Don Bosco Prep (15-0). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: 10. Week Four: 10. Last Week: 7. The Ironmen continued their rise with an 18-25, 26-24, 25-23 victory over Montclair on Monday.
7. Lakeland (15-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Week Four: unranked. Last Week: 8. The Lancers haven’t lost since a 1-2 start in the first week of the season. They handled Passaic, 25-16, 26-24 on Wednesday in the Passaic County Tournament semifinals.
8. Eastern (18-3). Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Week Four: 5. Last Week: 9. Brian Bertucci had 7 kills and three blocks as the Vikings beat Moorestown 25-15, 25-14 on Thursday.
9. St. Peters Prep (20-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two: 9. Week Three: 8. Week Four: 8. Last Week: 10. The Marauders host their tournament today, with a field that includes No. 2. St. Josephs.
10. West Windsor-Plainsboro South (12-5). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Week Four: unranked. Last Week: unranked (teams to watch). The Pirates beat Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, May 4. Bridgewater beat last week’s No. 6 team, CBA, on Thursday.
Teams to watch: Wayne Valley (big win over Clifton in Passaic semis on Wednesday. They face No. 7 Lakeland in the final tonight at Clifton); Bridgewater-Raritan (defending champs likely clinched a state tournament berth with 25-17, 25-18 win over CBA on Thursday); J.P. Stevens (likely to earn fourth seed in highly competitive GMC tournament); Clifton (reached Passaic County semis before slipping against Wayne Valley); Passaic (the other Passaic County semifinalist).
NOTES
All’s Wellington: Add Lakeland coach Russ Kniewel to the Wellington Perez fan club. Perez had 23 kills and 3 aces against the Lancers in Lakeland’s 13-25, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Newark East Side on Thursday. He also had 19 kills in East Side’s 25-21, 25-12 win over West Essex on Tuesday.
“I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t want to play them (Newark East Side) again,’’ Kniewel said. “That team is going to be a tough out in the state tournament. Out of the players I’ve seen, he’s the best player in North Jersey, he can do everything – serve, pass, block and hit. The way we beat them was we didn’t serve him.’’
Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>
Friday, May 5, 2006
Week Five Top 10
Powerzonevb.com Week Five Top 10
1. St. Josephs (19-1). Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Last week: 1. The Falcons went 4-0 at their Super Six, beating Southern, Bridgewater-Raritan, Fair Lawn and Cherry Hill East.
2. Southern (19-3). Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Last week: 6. The Rams move closer to where they started the season after a super showing at the Super Six Showcase on April 29. They beat Old Bridge, Fair Lawn, and Cherry Hill East there, and lost a close one to No. 1 St. Joes.
3. Old Bridge (14-3). Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Last week: 2. Libero Scott Behnke had 13 digs and middle Lance Rogers registered 7 blocks in a 25-23, 25-14 win over J.P. Stevens on Wednesday. Rise to the top was thwarted a bit with a loss to Southern at the Super Six Showcase on April 29.
4. East Brunswick (14-2). Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Last week: 3. Southern’s win over Old Bridge knocks the Bears down another spot, but they could move to the top on Monday with a victory at St. Joes, which beat them earlier in the season. Won three matches at the Eastern quad on April 29.
5. Fair Lawn (14-3). Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Last week: 4. Had a tough day at the Super Six, but rebounded Tuesday with an emotional victory over Clifton. Setter Jon Bashon knows where to go when he’s in trouble – leftside Vlad Livshits had 21 kills against Clifton. “Vlad’s our leader,’’ Bashon said.
6. CBA (9-6). Preseason rank: 9. Week One: 10. Week Two: 10. Week Three: 9. Last week: 9. The Colts have slipped a little with middle Steve Santangelo out with an ankle injury, but all the losses except a week-one three setter against Williamstown have come against ranked teams. Most recent loss was Thursday against No. 3 Old Bridge.
7. Don Bosco Prep (12-0). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: 10. Last week: 10. The Ironmen continued to cruise with a 25-11, 25-14 win over Belleview on Wednesday. Setter Matt Oczkowski had 6 blocks in the win.
8. Lakeland (11-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Last week: unranked. The Lancers are on a 9-match winning streak, including a victory over Wayne Valley, which beat them in the first week of the season. They play Wayne Hills in a Passaic County Tournament match on Monday.
9. Eastern (14-3). Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Last week: 5. The Vikings had a tough quad on April 29, losing to Clifton and East Brunswick. They did beat Livingston, however.
10. St. Peter’s Prep (14-2). Preseason rank: Not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two 9. Week Three: 8. Last week 8. The Marauders slip a bit because of Eastern’s drop. They lost to Eastern the first day of the season, but continue to roll along in Hudson County matches.
Teams to watch: Clifton (loss to Passaic is holding them back); Williamstown (slips out of the top 10 after losing to Clearview on Friday, and also falls some because of Eastern’s drop); Bloomfield (cruised to 25-13, 25-13 win over Hackensack on Thursday); West Windsor South (improved to 9-4 with a win over Bridgewater on Thursday); North Bergen (15-3, with losses to St. Joes and St. Peter’s).
NOTES
SOUTHERN TOURNAMENT: One of the few tournaments where the playoffs count against teams records (they’ll play actual 2 of 3 matches starting with the quarterfinals) takes place at Southern on Saturday.
Old Bridge, West Windsor South, Collingswood, and a second team from Southern will be in one pool, while Southern, Williamstown, West Windsor North, and Washington Township will be in the second.
Crossover playoffs should start around 2:15 p.m., with the second-and-third place teams from the opposite pools facing each other. The winners of those matches will face the first-place teams from the pools in the semifinals, with the winners then meeting for the championship. “The teams are going to get a lot of volleyball,’’ Southern coach Eric Maxwell said.
TOUGH CUT: With the cutoff looming for qualification into the state tournament (teams must have a .500 or better record after games played on Tuesday, May 16), there are a number of teams that will be fighting for playoff berths.
Tops among them: Last year’s state tournament winner, Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers’ loss to East Brunswick on Friday dropped their record to 8-9. They have four matches remaining (vs. Hillsborough on Tuesday, at CBA on Thursday, then against Livingston on Monday, May 14, and against Watchung Hills on the cutoff day.
The Panthers will have to go 3-1 in those four matches to earn a chance to defend their title. “We’ve got some winning to do,’’ coach Corey Romanak said. “It’s pretty simple, we can’t lose twice.’’
Bridgewater has played the last week without junior Chris Metzger, the team’s second option after Chris Allen. Metzger has bronchitis and Romanak is hoping he’ll return in time for the match with CBA
Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>
- St. Josephs.
- Southern
- Old Bridge.
- East Brunswick.
- Fair Lawn.
- CBA
- Don Bosco
- Lakeland
- Eastern.
- St. Peter’s Prep
1. St. Josephs (19-1). Preseason rank: 2. Week One: 1. Week Two: 1. Week Three: 1. Last week: 1. The Falcons went 4-0 at their Super Six, beating Southern, Bridgewater-Raritan, Fair Lawn and Cherry Hill East.
2. Southern (19-3). Preseason rank: 1. Week One: 6. Week Two: 6. Week Three: 6. Last week: 6. The Rams move closer to where they started the season after a super showing at the Super Six Showcase on April 29. They beat Old Bridge, Fair Lawn, and Cherry Hill East there, and lost a close one to No. 1 St. Joes.
3. Old Bridge (14-3). Preseason rank: 6. Week One: 5. Week Two: 5. Week Three: 5. Last week: 2. Libero Scott Behnke had 13 digs and middle Lance Rogers registered 7 blocks in a 25-23, 25-14 win over J.P. Stevens on Wednesday. Rise to the top was thwarted a bit with a loss to Southern at the Super Six Showcase on April 29.
4. East Brunswick (14-2). Preseason rank: 3. Week One: 2. Week Two: 2. Week Three: 2. Last week: 3. Southern’s win over Old Bridge knocks the Bears down another spot, but they could move to the top on Monday with a victory at St. Joes, which beat them earlier in the season. Won three matches at the Eastern quad on April 29.
5. Fair Lawn (14-3). Preseason rank: 5. Week One: 3. Week Two: 3. Week Three: 3. Last week: 4. Had a tough day at the Super Six, but rebounded Tuesday with an emotional victory over Clifton. Setter Jon Bashon knows where to go when he’s in trouble – leftside Vlad Livshits had 21 kills against Clifton. “Vlad’s our leader,’’ Bashon said.
6. CBA (9-6). Preseason rank: 9. Week One: 10. Week Two: 10. Week Three: 9. Last week: 9. The Colts have slipped a little with middle Steve Santangelo out with an ankle injury, but all the losses except a week-one three setter against Williamstown have come against ranked teams. Most recent loss was Thursday against No. 3 Old Bridge.
7. Don Bosco Prep (12-0). Preseason rank: unranked. Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: 10. Last week: 10. The Ironmen continued to cruise with a 25-11, 25-14 win over Belleview on Wednesday. Setter Matt Oczkowski had 6 blocks in the win.
8. Lakeland (11-2). Preseason rank: unranked (teams to watch). Week One: unranked. Week Two: unranked. Week Three: unranked. Last week: unranked. The Lancers are on a 9-match winning streak, including a victory over Wayne Valley, which beat them in the first week of the season. They play Wayne Hills in a Passaic County Tournament match on Monday.
9. Eastern (14-3). Preseason rank: 7. Week One: 4. Week Two: 4. Week Three: 4. Last week: 5. The Vikings had a tough quad on April 29, losing to Clifton and East Brunswick. They did beat Livingston, however.
10. St. Peter’s Prep (14-2). Preseason rank: Not ranked (teams to watch). Week One: 9. Week Two 9. Week Three: 8. Last week 8. The Marauders slip a bit because of Eastern’s drop. They lost to Eastern the first day of the season, but continue to roll along in Hudson County matches.
Teams to watch: Clifton (loss to Passaic is holding them back); Williamstown (slips out of the top 10 after losing to Clearview on Friday, and also falls some because of Eastern’s drop); Bloomfield (cruised to 25-13, 25-13 win over Hackensack on Thursday); West Windsor South (improved to 9-4 with a win over Bridgewater on Thursday); North Bergen (15-3, with losses to St. Joes and St. Peter’s).
NOTES
SOUTHERN TOURNAMENT: One of the few tournaments where the playoffs count against teams records (they’ll play actual 2 of 3 matches starting with the quarterfinals) takes place at Southern on Saturday.
Old Bridge, West Windsor South, Collingswood, and a second team from Southern will be in one pool, while Southern, Williamstown, West Windsor North, and Washington Township will be in the second.
Crossover playoffs should start around 2:15 p.m., with the second-and-third place teams from the opposite pools facing each other. The winners of those matches will face the first-place teams from the pools in the semifinals, with the winners then meeting for the championship. “The teams are going to get a lot of volleyball,’’ Southern coach Eric Maxwell said.
TOUGH CUT: With the cutoff looming for qualification into the state tournament (teams must have a .500 or better record after games played on Tuesday, May 16), there are a number of teams that will be fighting for playoff berths.
Tops among them: Last year’s state tournament winner, Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers’ loss to East Brunswick on Friday dropped their record to 8-9. They have four matches remaining (vs. Hillsborough on Tuesday, at CBA on Thursday, then against Livingston on Monday, May 14, and against Watchung Hills on the cutoff day.
The Panthers will have to go 3-1 in those four matches to earn a chance to defend their title. “We’ve got some winning to do,’’ coach Corey Romanak said. “It’s pretty simple, we can’t lose twice.’’
Bridgewater has played the last week without junior Chris Metzger, the team’s second option after Chris Allen. Metzger has bronchitis and Romanak is hoping he’ll return in time for the match with CBA
Fred Siegle is the communications editor and reporter for powerzonevb.com. <fsiegle@powerzonevb.com>