Stiff competition from some highly improved teams in Union County presented quite a challenge for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School girls volleyball team this season. The Raiders battled through the competition, had a few winning streaks, made it to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals and finished with a 17-9 overall record and 10-2 record in the Union County Conference Mountain Division.
The Raiders had six matches that went to three sets and they passed the endurance test by winning all six. But they opened their season with a twoset (2-0) win over the Union Farmers then bowed to the North Hunterdon Lions, 2-0, Cranford Cougars (2519, 25-22) and the 19-11 Summit Hilltoppers (25-19, 25-23). The Raiders recovered to stop the Oak Knoll Royals, New Providence Pioneers and Linden Tigers all in two sets.
After a 2-0 setback to the Colonia Patriots, the Raiders won four straight beginning with the Dayton Bulldogs (2-0) and Rahway Indians (2-0). The Raiders topped Union (2-1) and Cranford (2-1) then got rattled 2-0 by the Royals. But that would only arouse the Raiders, who would answer with five-straight victories – New Providence (2-0), Edison Eagles (2-1), St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0), Linden (2-1) and Dayton (2-1).
The Hillsborough Raiders jarred the SPF Raiders (2-0) just before the Union CountyTournament (UCT) that began with a 2-0 victory over Union and followed with a 2-0 loss to the Westfield Blue Devils, who would eventually go on the win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title and North Jersey title. Next, the Raiders silenced theAL Johnson Crusaders 20 then dropped their season finale to the Watchung Hills Warriors, 2-0.
After defeating North Star Academy (2-0) in the sectional first round, the Raiders tamed the Chatham Cougars (2-1) then lost 2-0 to the Millburn Millers in the semifinals. The 23-9 No. 18 Millers would win the title.
The Raider girls had a number of underclassmen featured in a starting role and junior Maddy Byrne led the team with 221 kills, 216 digs and 52 aces with 92 services to go with 14 blocks and five assists. Junior DJ Ngumah led the team with 42 blocks, notched 104 kills and added 143 digs, 17 assists and 120 services with 43 aces. Junior Elyse Lamberti led the team with 288 assists and contributed 43 digs, eight kills, a block and 47 services with seven aces.
Senior Sam Friscia led the team with 171 digs, notched 79 kills, had 106 services with 45 aces (2nd on team), three blocks and two assists. Sophomore Bella Stewart dished out 139 assists, and added 61 digs, a kill and added 71 services with 27 aces. Sophomore Brynn Cardenas finished with 78 services with 28 aces, 102 digs, 24 kills, nine blocks and three assists. Senior Audrey Coyne had 24 kills, seven blocks, 36 digs, five assists and 66 services with 21 aces. Senior Chelsea Martin totaled 27 kills, 40 digs, a block and 33 services with 12 aces.
Receiving ample floor time, sophomore Maya Diaz finished with four kills, three blocks, eight digs and 33 services with 14 aces. Freshman Emily Trojan had 59 digs, two assists and four services with two aces. Sophomore Victoria Hunter had 13 kills, 18 blocks, three digs and an assist. Senior Caroline Grandmaison had six digs and 17 services with five aces. Freshman Jacklyn Choi recorded 36 digs, two assists, four services and a kill. Freshman Rihanna Rodrigues scooped six digs and added a kill and six services with a pair of aces. Senior Emisa Marku had 28 digs and two assists.
Byrne notched 15 kills in Match 2 against Union, Ngumah had three blocks and three kills, Lamberti had 14 assists and Friscia had 12 services with eight aces, while Stewart dished out 11 assists. In the 2-1 win over Cranford, Byrne had 15 kills and two blocks, Lamberti had 17 assists and Ngumah recorded eight kills, two blocks and nine services with three aces, while Friscia had 16 digs and six services with four aces.
The 2-1 win over Edison had Byrne with 13 kills and six services with four aces, Lamberti with 23 assists and Ngumah with three blocks, seven kills and 10 services with three aces, while Friscia recorded six kills and nine services with four aces. The 2-1 win over Linden had Ngumah with nine kills and two blocks, Stewart with 14 assists and Martin with five kills. The 2-1 win over Dayton had Friscia with 10 kills and 15 services with five aces, Ngumah with eight kills and two blocks and Lamberti with 27 assists. The 2-1 win over Chatham had Byrne with 13 kills, Friscia with seven kills, Ngumah with two blocks and Stewart with 10 assists and 14 services with four aces.
The Raiders expect to return the bulk of their squad so next year could be quite promising.
