The roaring cheers that erupted from the visiting stands, filling the gym on every Linden point, had virtually no impact on the outcome of the semifinal match of the North 2, Group 4 Sectional Tournament between first-seeded Westfield and fourth-seeded Linden.
After the first point was tallied on the scoreboard, it was evident that Westfield would be advancing to the sectional final. The Blue Devils pummeled Linden, swiftly taking care of the Tigers in just two sets.
Westfield dominated the game from start to finish. The first set felt fiery but the Blue Devils were simply playing their own game. Their serves were full of strength and each kill hit the court harder than the last.
The Blue Devils came out guns blazing with a 5-0 start. Quick kills from seniors Abby Pevzner and Karolina Bonn set the tone for the day as Westfield jumped out to an early 11-2 lead.
Linden was clearly outmatched, but certainly did not give up. They managed to post two points, matching the Blue Devils’ energy. But, the game was never truly in their grasp.
Westfield responded with a barrage of kills and dominant serves to go on a six-point uncontested run, ended by a much needed Linden kill. Before all of the fans could even get situated in their seats, the Blue Devils were up 17-5.
Westfield ended the first set with a few unfortunate errors, resulting in the concession of five more points to the outmatched Tigers, but this did not change much. The set would go on to end 25-10, and the Blue Devils were quickly and easily leaving Linden in their dust.
Even though the points allowed were few and far between in the end, the Blue Devils did not want to give up any unearned points. Senior co-captain Chloe Wiedman said going into the sectional finals “we have to make sure that our passing stays consistent and that we’re there when the hitters are hitting like covering when they have a big block.”
The second set followed a similar trend. The Blue Devils came out even hotter, dominating each and every point like it was nothing. They broke out a huge lead once again and never looked back.
The Westfield stat sheets were certainly filled in this matchup, as most players were worked into the rotation. The sidelines were filled with smiles and swagger; Westfield knew they would be advancing and they were not afraid to show it.
The second and final set wrapped up quickly. With an even more dominant score than the first set, the Blue Devils fled their bench onto the court as the scoreboard read 25-9.
The team is determined to complete the two-peat after last year’s sectional championship victory.
Torok is preparing her players for a higher level of play. “The beginning matches of the state section so far have been teams that maybe weren’t as fast, they have a slower offense. So, we’re going to have to speed our game up and be prepared for the speed of the other team,” she said.
Looking forward to the finals the Blue Devils are matched up against sixth-seeded Elizabeth at home at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Senior co-captain Caitlin Cabrales said, “This is definitely gonna be a tougher match. And I think we have to go in with a tough mindset and make sure we’re playing clean, running a faster offense and making sure we’re serving aggressively.”
The Blue Devils have played this Elizabeth team three times already this season, taking victory in each meeting, but even with these victories earlier in the season, there is a lot more on the line this time. Westfield has won their first few rounds with large margins, but doing so in a championship game will prove to be challenging.
