Girls volleyball rolls through GMC Championship

Every player and coach in the program pose with the GMC Champion banner after beating Beating Monroe in straight sets in the tournament finals, with the scoreboard still displaying the score from their dominant second set.

BY KATELYN BUCHALTER, DISHA DHINGRA, NATALIE GOLDBERG, JAYDEN JUNAID, AND ABIGAIL PERSAUD

Girls’ volleyball dominated Monroe 2-0 in the GMC Championship game on October 25. The match–up served as a revenge game because Monroe had ended the Knight’s undefeated run at 13 games by winning 2-0 on the Knights’ home court on October 10.

The team battled through a back-and–forth first set. Junior setter Julia Mikucki, who contributed 29 assists in the match, totaling 412 this season, said, “I was very nervous at the start of the match because I knew how much the game meant to the whole team and the program. However, once I stepped on the court with the rest of the team, I felt a rush of adrenaline, and we all played with a purpose.”

Eventually, the Knights started to take control. “The highlight of the match was when we were down four points and then gained a lead and a serving run,” said Leena Tran, who scored nine kills and five digs in the victory.

Once they got rolling, the team never looked back. “In the first set, we went on a run serving, run that really changed momentum for us,” explained junior Abigail Jazmin, who contributed four kills, two blocks, and a dig.

Abigail Jazmin spikes the ball off a set from Julia Mikucki to earn the final point of the match and the GMC Tournament Championship.

Red Division Coach of the Year Andrew Hopman used some well-placed timeouts in the first set to stall Monroe’s momentum and provide some guidance for his players. Senior Victoria Nazarova, who added six kills and two blocks, said, “We also recognized how they played. Then, I feel like we were more aggressive with what we were doing.”

Malvina Sullivan rises up to block a shot by a Monroe player, forcing her to take an awkward, less effective angle.

After locking up the first set, the home crowd, the players on the bench, and those on the court really started to let loose. “We drive off of confidence, and that first set really solidified our energy,” said Julia Morgan, who notched two blocks and one kill in the match.

The finals featured one of the top performances of the season for senior outside hitter Sullivan, who had nine kills and four digs. “I knew personally that I needed to step up and be at my best because that’s how we were going to win, and everyone really came and was on their best game,” said Sullivan.

According to Tran, who leads the team with 160 kills this season, the victory resulted from having the right mindset and approach. “The key was 100% mental toughness. We worked on it in practice with Coach Hopman,” said Tran.

Senior Natalie Mikucki who leads the team with 178 digs this season, steps into her serve. Mikucki contributed four service points and one ace in the match.

After a run of losing seasons, the program turned the corner to go 19-8 last year but fell to rival East Brunswick in the GMC semi-finals and the NJSIAA finals. Nazarova shared, “It feels a little surreal. We haven’t really been used to being recognized as a program and now this year we have been building each other up.”

The team has worked towards this goal, which the girls volleyball team hasn’t accomplished since 2014, all season and beyond. “We’ve been playing together for so long, and it’s an amazing feeling to do this this with some of my best friends,” Sullivan conveyed.

With the GMC Tournament plaque in their possession the team can turn its focus to the NJSIAA Tournament. Sullivan said, “We definitely want to accomplish more this season and we have the potential to do it, and I can’t wait.”

Julia Mikucki, who assisted on 29 of the teams 50 points, sets the ball to Abigail Jazmin for a kill attempt.

“We’re ready,” said Morgan, who leads the team with 36 blocks this season. “We want to take on any team that comes our way.” The Knights enter the state tournament as the number one seed in in their bracket with an opening round bye. They will face the winner of Marlboro and Bridgewater-Raritan.

Based on their determination and confidence, these girls seem to have a few more runs left in them. “We want to keep pushing to get the job done,” stated Jazmin.

Come out and support the team on Tuesday, November 1 at home in their second-round match-up.

All-Conference Award winners, Natalie Mikucki, Leena Tran, and Malvina Sullivan prepare to receive the serve from Monroe.
Senior Victoria Nazarova follows through after spiking the ball through the blocking attempts of two Monroe players.
Abigail Jazmin gets up over the net for a kill shot against Monroe in the GMC Tournament finals.
The team comes together to celebrate after scoring a point.
Junior Julia Mikucki, who earned three service points and one ace in the finals, gets ready to toss the ball up and serve it. Mikucki leads the team with 39 aces this season.
Junior Abigail Jazmin goes airborne to strike the ball over the net in the second set against Monroe.