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.''
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
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.
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.
om
om
Saturday, April 14, 2007
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 - 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.
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.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
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.''
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.''
Thursday, April 5, 2007
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.
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.