On Nov. 15, the girls volleyball team ended their 2025 season with a devastating loss in the Group 4 State Final, unable to persevere over Old Bridge, who proved to be an extremely skilled and capable opponent. Although the Blue Devils fell to Old Bridge quickly in two sets earlier in the season, they showed immense resilience and growth, forcing the match into a historic five sets and coming up just short of the State Championship.
From their early matches, the team set the stage for a competitive season. The Blue Devils went 11-1 in the Union County Conference, compared to their 10-3 record last year. They also dominated the Union County Tournament, securing the UCT title, a feat they failed to achieve in the 2024 season.
The 2025 team, composed of a majority of upperclassmen, was led by senior co-captains Audrey Stack and Emelia Dengler, along with head coach Beverly Torok. Along with the team’s collective success this season came individual accomplishments: Senior Ava Gaspard broke two school records, tallying 338 kills in her senior season and 711 throughout her career. Dengler led the team in assists with 345 and senior Audrey Hu led the team in service points with 184 and in digs with 313.
One of the highlights from the season, besides the team’s intense play and dedication, was the bond formed between the players. “Being able to play with these people all through high school and connect and feed off each other’s energy was really exciting,” said Stack. “You make connections that you never really thought you would.”
Undoubtedly, the strong team connection, developed from 8th grade until senior year for many, contributed to the atmosphere on the court. “Our team dynamic [was] supportive and encouraging,” said senior Vicki Morey. “We [were] always picking each other up in tough moments, which definitely helped us perform better when we were struggling.”
The Blue Devils faced a variety of strong teams throughout the season, including those in the Union County Conference and many others across the state. In their conference, the Blue Devils contested skilled teams such as Governor Livingston and Kent Place, while outside their conference, they played North Hunterdon, Sparta and Warren Hills.
Westfield went up against Williamstown on Sept. 27, being one of just four teams to take Williamstown, who ended the season with a record of 31-1, to more than two sets.
Reflecting on what the team will take with them into 2026, Torok commented on the number of difficult sides the Blue Devils contested throughout the season, stating that the team added “some really good teams” to their schedule to “make [themselves] better.”
Despite taking some losses against these talented teams, the Blue Devils learned to look at these moments of adversity with a positive mindset. Torok added that the “best lesson” for the team to learn looking to the future is to “learn how to win or come back after a loss,” and the 2025 team worked to accomplish this feat by getting “good practice with good, quality teams.”
Next year, current juniors Annelise Bonn, Lillian Wood, Sophia Simeone, Abby Wilson and Karolina Gawkowska will take the spotlight as key leaders, as the five players had significant contributions to the team’s dominant 2025 season.
This senior class will certainly be missed by the entire Westfield girls volleyball program. “[The senior class] was competitive in practice, which made us better,” said Torok. “Their skills were high level, so we are certainly going to miss them graduating and starting over in a sense with [their] positions.”
Next year, the Blue Devils will look to continue their dominance in the Union County Conference and beyond, while maintaining their united bond on and off the court.
