The Scotch Plains-Fanwood gym boomed with excitement– fans hollering, players chirping. The Blue Devils stood toe-to-toe with the Raiders, tied at 23-23 in the deciding third set. “This is the first time they’ve even challenged us in five years, so it was a very fun game,” said SPF junior outside hitter Daniel Ennis.
In the Blue Devils’ short nine-year history, they have never beaten the Raiders. Over the past five seasons, SPF has swept Westfield in straight sets every time. But now, with the score tied, an opportunity to make program history loomed. With Westfield holding serve, junior quad-captain Ethan Cha stepped up to the line, ready to deliver another ace with his topspin.
Cha launched the ball high and forward, and with a powerful smack, it rocketed toward the trembling SPF passers. But the serve’s flight was short-lived, clipping the net and falling on Westfield’s side, handing SPF a crucial point and a 24-23 lead.
On the next play, SPF sent over a tough topspin serve. Senior quad-captain Daniel Flores handled it cleanly, and after a precise set from senior Veer Agarwal, a kill to tie the game was all that remained. But the swing caught the net, resulting in a hitting error that sealed the game 25-23 in SPF’s favor.
“We feel really good about the way we played. [SPF] just made one more play than we did, and we made one more mistake than they did,” said head coach William Leonard. “Sometimes, you can play as well as you do and still come up a little short—and that’s all it is.”
The Blue Devils’ comeback effort was nothing short of remarkable. SPF came out swinging in the first set, with their offense firing on all cylinders early, overwhelming Westfield with strong serving and aggressive hitting. The Raiders dominated the first set, closing it 25-15 in their favor, sealed by a quick-attack from their middle hitter, Aaron Frank.
“The biggest challenge was that we were playing a good team and we fell behind early. Anytime you put yourself in a hole like that, especially against a really dangerous team, it’s hard to climb out of,” said Leonard.
But Westfield wasn’t going down without a fight. In the second set, energy surged from a serving run by junior quad-captain Matthew Bonn, and the whole team came alive. “Everyone was going crazy, and I could feel the energy. I think that’s what changed everything,” said Cha.
With increased communication and intensity, led by Cha’s kills and Bonn’s aces, Westfield battled their way to a 25-22 victory, forcing a decisive third set. “Everyone stepped up their energy from our other games, and that really helped us play as a team and take a set from SPF,” said Bonn.
It was Westfield’s first time in five years forcing SPF to a third set, and SPF’s first third-set battle of the season. “It’s huge for us,” said Ennis. “I view this as a success because it gives us that third-set mentality.”
The third set saw both teams trading points in a tense finish. SPF ultimately held off a surging Westfield to take the set 25-23. “This game taught us that we can’t win by ourselves, we need to play with each other. It’s not a one-person sport,” said Bonn. “And I think we just need to keep getting better at everything. We had some really good passing, serving and hitting, but we just need to be more consistent.”
Cha also noted that the Blue Devils need to “work on getting their energy up from the start of the first set instead of waiting until the second set.”
Although the Blue Devils have some aspects of their game that need to be “ironed out,” said Leonard, the team’s “versatility” makes this “a special group and we have a lot of good stuff ahead of us.” These teams will face each other two or three more times this year, and if this match was any indication, the next chapter between SPF and Westfield is going to be electric.
“They do a lot of their damage [from their outside hitter], they have players who can mix it up, but they hurt us there quite a bit today. We can run with this team, there is not a doubt in my mind about that,” said Leonard.
Ennis, who notched 17 of SPF’s 35 total kills, said, “I’m very blessed we came out on top, but we have things we need to work on, and we can beat them by more next time.” For now, the Raiders hold the edge—but the rivalry is far from over.
The Blue Devils will face SPF again on April 28, but have their sights set on other victories until then. Westfield will play North Hunterdon, away, at 4 p.m. on April 14.
