Coming out of a timeout that was called in the wake of a flurry of points by Union City, Westfield battled in a long rally. Despite the set being far from over, the energy in the stadium made it seem like the deciding point. Then, senior Audrey Hu dove across the floor to erase a kill attempt by Union City, setting up senior Ava Gaspard for the kill to win the point. The momentum from that rally carried Westfield through the rest of the match where they went on to claim a victory, winning all three first sets to secure the sectional title.
After Union City began to build momentum, Westfield called a crucial timeout. Head coach Beverly Torok said, “We just needed to take a breath and recuperate. The crowd noise was building and disrupting our composure, so that break was needed for us to go back out there and dominate.”
Alongside the title win, two Westfield seniors broke major records: Gaspard broke the record for single season (294) and career (667) kills, and senior co-captain Emilia Dengler broke the career assists record with 803. Dengler noted, “We complement each other’s games really well; I set her up and she delivers the kill.” It was therefore fitting that the two broke the career records in the same match.
Beyond standout performances by Hu, Gaspard and Dengler, Westfield cycled through multiple lineups and maintained their consistent, competitive play. Torok said, “It’s awesome to see the girls that don’t get as much playing time show up and compete at the highest level. I think it really shows how much depth we have as a team.”
The Blue Devils have been building a consistent, championship-caliber level of play that continues to bring them deeper within the state tournament. As for what that mentality and gameplay consist of? Senior co-captain Audrey Stack explained what the team packs when entering the court with some of the best opponents the state has to offer, stating, “We make sure we don’t approach these games with cockiness but rather confidence in each other because we’re aware of what is able to be accomplished when we want something.”
Having one of the group’s deepest benches in terms of skill most definitely helps. A variety of players having a significant presence on the court means that when a player like Hu goes on a tear, it’s no surprise.
Westfield looks to make their second consecutive appearance in the state final on Saturday, but first must topple Livingston away on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the Group 4 Championship, Semifinal round.
