Kean University Hardwood Arena was silent as Westfield was about to serve on match point. The victory was in sight; it had been all game, but the Blue Devils still needed to finish the game strong. After a tense rally, senior Vicki Morey sealed the 2-0 win with a decisive kill.
The Blue Devils went into the game with extra motivation. Being the county final and the high expectations the program is held to, the pressure was on. Head coach Beverly Torok noted that she continually reminded the team, “Remember that we got knocked out last year.” In the end, the Blue Devils rose to the challenge and maintained their dominant season.
The game started a little shaky as Westfield was down 5-1 before the first timeout. “Once we got our feet under us, then we were in control of the whole game,” said Torok. Torok credited junior Abby Wilson for providing the spark for Westfield to execute their dominance, as she went on a dominating 8-1 serve run to take the first set.
After a strong first set overall in which Westfield won 25-14, the Blue Devils faced more mounting pressure from Union Catholic after halftime. Although the Vikings increased their pace, Westfield maintained their lead and stayed ahead throughout the second set. Torok added, “It took a little bit for us to get [the second half] rolling, then we started seeing holes better after getting better control of our passes.”
Senior Ava Gaspard led the game with 11 kills and 4 digs, while Morey also continued her dominant season with 5 kills and 9 digs. “We’ve been looking forward to this all season,” said Morey. “[Union Catholic] is our biggest rival, so the final against them makes it even more special, but we knew we could do it. We just needed to put it into action.”
Senior co-captain Emelia Dengler and Wilson also helped lead the team to victory with a combined 22 service points and 18 assists. “We had some great hustle plays,” added Morey. “Even when the ball was off the court, we were able to bring it back.”
The Blue Devils’ energy on and off the bench was a key motivator in the victory, which is a testament to the team’s bond and connection that has been fostered throughout the season.
Despite Union Catholic getting close to the Blue Devils toward the end of the second set, they pulled away with the win 25-20. Senior libero Audrey Hu also contributed to the victory with 11 digs, emphasizing the whole team effort to secure the title.
Senior co-captain Audrey Stack noted the importance of winning with this team. “I’ve been playing with these girls all throughout high school, for five years,” said Stack. “It was really important for us to win our senior year county final. I hope that we can continue it through states and avenge ourselves from the state finals last year.”
Westfield is the number one seed in the Sectional Tournament and will either face Dickinson or Watchung Hills in the first-round matchup. They will look to make a long run in the state tournament and continue their dominant season, while remaining humble and connected.
