BY ABIGAIL PERSAUD
The girls volleyball team continued their legacy last night by defeating Monroe in straight sets to take the GMC Tournament Championship. Next, the dominant 23-3 team will turn its attention to the NJSIAA Central Group IV Tournament, which begins Thursday.
“It was amazing, winning for the second year in a row,” said Ava Accettuli. “It was great to continue the legacy from last year, and we were really excited when our hard work paid off.” The girls defeated Monroe in the GMC finals last year, putting the program on the map.
The victory in the finals coming against Monroe again made it even sweeter. “It felt amazing to [win the GMC Tournament] senior year, and Monroe is a rival, so it was nice to beat them in our gym,” said Julia Mikucki, who stepped up in the big game and had 30 assists.
The Knights had lost to Monroe on the road in their most recent meeting on October 9, giving the team one of their three losses this season. “We were nervous but very excited to play,” said Julia Morgan, who contributed nine kills, five digs, and an assist, and looks forward to continuing the team’s run into the State Tournament. “You can expect the same energy and passion.”
The student section supported the team and kept the momentum going with their own energy. “The crowd definitely helped,” said Mikucki.
Although most coaches agree not to switch sides after the first set, the Monroe coach made the team Knights switch, apparently thinking it would throw off the home team. Instead, it forced his own team to play right in front of the raucous Knights of the Silver Bleachers. “They were so loud, especially when we switched sides,” said Mikucki.
Freshman standout Ashley Markle had one of her best matches of the season in the finals with 14 kills. “Honestly, there’s no better feeling,” said Markle, who leads the with a remarkable 226 kills this season. “This team has worked so hard and to see it all fall in place is amazing.”
The girls took steps beyond traditional practice to ensure they earned the title of GMC champions. “We also had what we call a chicken gathering the night before where we all bring food and eat chicken wings,” said Accetulli. “We had the idea of watching more film on Monroe, so we talked all together about what we thought we could do better, which really paid off.”
The team secured its spot in the finals by beating Woodbridge for the third time this season in the semis. “Winning felt great, and we were able to cement our spot as the better team,” said junior Emily Lennon.
These girls are willing to do whatever it takes to reach their goals. “We have worked so hard in the off season and are continuing to grind during the current season,” said Accettuli.
The championship win comes in a season full of notable achievements. “It feels amazing to have accomplished so much with this team,” said Julia Gervase, who contributed two aces and six service points against Monroe and leads the team with 115 digs this season. “Being named red division champs and 11th in the state is such a reward and is giving us so much inspiration for the remainder of our season.”
The girls will now turn their attention to getting ready for their first NJSIAA Central Group IV Tournament game against Plainfield on Thursday after a “tune-up” Tri-meet on the road today. “We feel prepared, but there is more work to put in,” said Mikucki.
Entering the tournament as the number two seed, the team hopes to face Monroe, the one seed, one more time in the Group IV Finals. “We feel confident but know that there is a lot of work to be done,” said Markle. “There are very good teams in group 4 but nothing we can’t handle.”
Come out and support the girls on Thursday at 4pm.
Posted on 10/25/23
Photos by Chloe Fusco and Ritee Karmacharya
Knight Life 