The score was 22-21 in the first set. Westfield’s fans were on their feet. Union’s bench was on the edge of their seats. Senior tri-captain Ben Bukiet-Beker answered a long rally with a kill from the outside. As Westfield was only two points away from taking the first set, Union called a timeout. However, their timeout proved ineffective as Westfield won the first set four points later, 25-23, setting the tone for the rest of the match, advancing them to the Union County Finals.
Earlier in the season, the Blue Devils beat Union in three sets. However, the next time they faced them, the result was different. On April 24, Westfield fell to Union in two sets straight. Going into the semifinals, the Blue Devils knew it would be a battle, but coming out on top motivates them for the finals. Bukiet-Beker said, “It definitely sets the tone. It was a battle, but it wasn’t that close. It was a dominant win, and we’re definitely really hyped to be in the finals.”
From the start, Westfield’s service-receive passing proved to be successful. Countless kills by Bukiet-Beker and senior tri-captain Ethan Cha were executed perfectly due to the strong communication and precise set placement. Bukiet-Beker said, “The passing led to really good hitting. It’s easy to hit efficiently when the passing is really good. We have a great setter, so when we’re in system, it’s game over.” Bukiet-Beker tallied 10 kills and Cha had 6.
The strong communication helped the team to secure the victory, although senior tri-captain Matthew Bonn mentioned they still need to focus on working as a team. “We have to play as a team more. We’re very individualistic. So if we play the team more, we’ll be really good,” he said.
The best aspect that head coach Ed Saggio credited for their win today was Westfield’s blocking. He said, “We’ve been working on it all year and finally, it affected them today.” The Blue Devils tallied six blocks. Junior Jeremiah Brooks had two blocks as well as Bonn, senior Brock Borlenghi, Bukiet-Beker and Cha all recording one block each.
Bukiet-Beker agreed, but also pointed out that the team needs to focus more on pressing when blocking, saying, “We saw a lot of blocks where we touched the ball, and then it fell right next to us on our side. We have to get over and press, and then I think we’ll have a chance to win a final if we do that.”
As they move on to the county final, the Blue Devils hope to replicate the energy they brought to this match. “We’re just gonna have to play with this intensity again on Friday,” Saggio said.
Facing No. 4 seed Elizabeth, which upset No. 1 seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the semifinals, Westfield has to keep their focus and work together, which will allow them to hopefully come out on top at the Union County Final on Friday at 7 p.m. at Kean University.
