BY KNIGHT LIFE STAFF
On October 22, the girls volleyball team defeated Mother Seton 2-0 to win the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament Finals. The girls continued their 14-game winning streak with a dominant performance against the last team to beat them.
The girls’ victory at the GMC Finals marked their 5th consecutive GMC Championship win. “We always knew that we were a great team and what we were truly capable of,” said senior Kamaiya Penson, who had 6 kills. “We proved that tonight.”
Even in victory, the girls always look to improve. “We had to work through our blocking,” said senior Olivia Grubb, who had one of the team’s three blocks. “It’s not bad, but it’s not where we want it to be sometimes.”
As many seniors approached their last few games, the win against Mother Seton felt greater than just a plaque. “It feels fantastic,” said Penson, a varsity contributor for three years. “This game was really important to me because it was my last year.”
As the girls achieved their fifth straight championship, they a moment to appreciate senior Maya Lupinski, who achieved the 2000th assist of her career. “She’s such an amazing person and player. I couldn’t be prouder of her,” said senior Ashley Markle, who led the team with 14 kills. “I’m also very happy we got to celebrate this accomplishment during such a big game.”
Lupinski’s 2,005 assists set an Old Bridge High School record, and she will look to add to her total as she continues to lead her team to success. “No one had accomplished this in school history,” said senior Lupinski, who had 21 assists in the match. “I’m just really happy that I’m the first.”
Losing against Mother Seton 2-1 on September 24 gave the team something to prove at the GMC Finals. “I am so happy we beat them since we lost to them last time,” said junior Jannah Khalil, who led the team with 15 digs. “I also have a club (travel) teammate on the other team, so it felt good to beat her.”
While Mother Seton barely beat the Knights in the previous match-up, the Knights dominated in the big game, winning in straight sets, 25-19 and 25-12. “It only inspired us to do better,” stated senior Ashley Markle, who leads the team with 264 kill this season. “We forget about the losses and move on; that’s what Old Bridge does.”
Their first game of the season on August 31 gave the girls confidence coming into the Championship. “I knew we’d beat them before, and I knew we could do it,” said junior Tatum Jones, who contributed four kills.
Regardless of the challenges and long practices in preparing for this game, the girls managed to come out on top. “We practice 6 out of the 7 days in the week, and [Coach Andrew Hopman] has us from 7:30 even though practice starts at 8:00,” said Jones, who sits second on the team with 141 kills.
The seniors on the team finished their careers with victories in every GMC Tournament Final possible. “It’s so bittersweet thinking about that,” said Markle. “This is my last GMC Final at home, but I couldn’t be more grateful for what Old Bridge gave back to me. This town was great to me.”
As the girls move on to try to repeat as State champions in the NJSIAA Tournament, they enter with strong momentum for their team’s success and hope to end the season on a good note. “I wanted to leave a good impression on Old Bridge High School, my teammates, Coach Hopman, and now we are going to get ready for states,” said Penson.
Story, photos, videos, and captions by Aubrey Frizalone, Amyah Gonzalez, Emma Heagen, Catherine Shapiro, Lisa Tooley, and Dayami Viloria
Posted at 11:30pm on October 22, 2026
