Continuing a tough stretch of two top-five opponents in the same week, the girls volleyball team faced No. 4-ranked Princeton on Oct. 16. After multiple consecutive points scored by the Blue Devils in the second set, Westfield was working their way up to Princeton’s double-digit lead. Fans sat tense in the bleachers, watching every move, every hit, every serve. However, Princeton was able to maintain their lead, winning the game 2-0.
Following a 0-2 loss to No. 2-ranked Old Bridge the day prior, senior co-captain Audrey Stack explained, “Yesterday, we easily could have beaten Old Bridge, even though they’re a really tough team. We had to come in here today with good energy and a strong attitude, like we know we can do.”
Stack described the match as a game of runs where Westfield couldn’t seem to stop a Princeton-dominated set of rallies. A fitting description as Princeton had a crushing seven-point consecutive stretch at the beginning of the second set, which set the tone for an uphill battle that the Blue Devils couldn’t overcome. Head coach Beverly Torok understood the talent the team faced in Princeton. She recognized that despite efforts to study and counter Princeton’s talent, one of the state’s powerhouse players, Naomi Lygas, was still able to make her presence known on the court. Torok commented on this stating, “We knew this team was highly ranked and undefeated until last weekend. We also knew they were outside hitting dominant. [Princeton’s] Naomi Lygas has over a thousand kills. That’s an incredible statistic.”
Although the match did not fall how Westfield hoped it would, there were enough positive things going for the Blue Devils to remain confident about their upcoming county run. One of whom was senior and Binghamton University commit Ava Gaspard, who recorded numerous powerful kills and momentum-swinging plays throughout both sets. When asked about what was most pressing on the horizon, Gaspard stated, “[Westfield] is the first seed in the county tournament and we should do well. I think we need to improve our state ranking.”
It appears many of the team members believe Westfield will find success in the county Tournament. Junior Lillian Wood, who has solidified herself as a core part middle blocker for the Blue Devils, when asked about the team’s upcoming tournament run said, “I think we are well prepared and ready for counties, we’re gonna try our best.”
The Blue Devils will start their county’s run on Oct. 22 with the first seed in the UCIAC tournament. “We have to focus on our fundamentals before we can really go for it,” Stack explained. “If we don’t get our passing down, then we won’t be able to run our offense as well.”
