It was a season to remember in 2014 for the Secaucus High School girls’ volleyball team, a campaign that culminated in the Patriots winning the NJSIAA Group I state championship. It was the 19th state crown for the school, which is a state record, and it was the first state title for the Patriots since 2006.
Veteran head coach Sheila Rivera knew that her team would have to endure some growing pains this season, especially since many of last year’s championship team had graduated and most of the replacements for those graduated seniors are currently freshmen.
“We’re starting four freshmen,” Rivera said after losing an independent match last week to Mahwah at home. “We still have tons of work to do. I’m very happy with the way we played [against Mahwah]. It was the best we’ve played all year and we lost. But we’re getting better to the ball. What we’re trying to do is mold this team. We knew coming into the year that it was going to be tough. Even our returning players like Kristina [Ulrich] and Alyson [Toman] are doing different things for us than they did last year.”
In the loss to Mahwah, Toman was a force at the net, collecting 13 kills. She now has 150 kills and 41 service points. Toman had a season-high 18 kills in a win this week over Wood-Ridge. Ulrich was doing a host of things as she always does. She had nine digs and she went over the 100 mark in digs this week to go with 111 service points.
Fellow senior Alessandra Tringali has been solid as well, with 165 assists this season and 54 digs.
Other seniors Colleen Burns and Melissa Dehnert and junior Mariam Said have also returned from last year’s squad.
But Rivera has to be encouraged by the play of her freshmen, who represent the future of the program.
Players like state champs last year Katelyn Schlemm, Kendall Caruso, Andie Lennon and the 2014-15 Hudson Reporter Female Athlete of the Year Julia McClure all had to learn the sport as freshmen, much like these girls are doing now.
“I started four freshmen five years ago and look what they became,” Rivera said. “These kids are starting to get the idea. The younger girls don’t get it yet. It takes a while. This loss makes me happier than half of the wins we’ve had this season.”
Freshmen Alexandra Ianuale, Payton Intindola, Gabriella Pimentel and Amanda Ulrich, Kristina’s younger sister, have all had to learn trial by fire this season.
It means that the Patriots have suffered some losses this season. The loss to Mahwah was an uncharacteristic third this fall already, but the Patriots have rebounded since that setback to the Thunderbirds and reeled off three straight wins against Snyder, Wood-Ridge and Queen of Peace.
It all means one thing. The Patriots will be primed for the Hudson County Tournament and the NJSIAA Group I tournament once again
“It’s not whether you win or lose,” Rivera said. “It’s when you win or lose.”
Meaning losses in late September won’t mean much come late October…
Here are some things to take out of the football season thus far. Only two local teams are among the undefeated, namely Lincoln and Hudson Catholic, both of which are 4-0. Hoboken and Weehawken are 3-1. The rest of the entire county has at least two losses already this season, including St. Peter’s Prep, which lost to St. John Bosco of California last week, 56-14.
Imagine the mighty Marauders, the top team in all of New Jersey last year, already has setbacks this season of 47-14 and 56-14. Not easy to swallow…
Snyder won for the second time this season, taking a 20-0 decision over Dickinson. It marks the first time that the Tigers had as many as two wins in a season since 2011 when they finished the season with two. Now Ray Marshall’s team has a chance to go to places the program hasn’t been to in decades…
Four weeks into the season and Hudson Catholic has still yet to give up a single point. The Hawks defeated Marist, 40-0, last week. Who’s up next? None other than Snyder…
Weehawken’s Joan Andujar didn’t allow any Athlete of the Week jinx to come into play. The Indians’ workhorse back had 166 yards and two touchdowns a week after being named Athlete of the Week here…
Here’s a little brief NJSIAA power point update: Hoboken is second and Weehawken sixth in North Jersey Section 2, Group I, Lincoln is third in Central Jersey Group 2, Hudson Catholic fourth in Non-Public Group 1&2, St. Peter’s Prep is sixth in Non-Public Group 4, Union City is eighth in North 1, Group V and Snyder is 10th in North 2, Group III…
In cross country, Hudson Catholic sensation Crystal Ortiz was absent from the Shore Conference Coaches Invitational in Holmdel last Saturday. Maybe the rain kept Ortiz away or maybe she’s not feeling well, but her absence among the state’s elite runners was definitely noticed.
But St. Dominic Academy senior Camille Bertholon did run in the rain and did extremely well, finishing second to one of the state’s premier runners, Sierra Castaneda of West Morris, in the Varsity C race at Holmdel Park. Bertholon finished strong in 19:37…
In soccer, Andrew Nino had two goals and two assists to lead Union City, ranked No. 12 in the state, to a big win over Ferris, the ninth straight win for the Soaring Eagles, now 10-1 overall…
Hudson Reporter High School Football Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (2-2). 2. Lincoln (4-0). 3. Hoboken (3-1). 4. Union City (2-2). 5. Hudson Catholic (4-0)…
Hudson Reporter High School Soccer Top Five: 1. Union City (10-1). 2. St. Peter’s Prep (9-2). 3. North Bergen (6-5). 4. Dickinson (6-3). 5. Memorial (4-6). – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.