It was the middle of the second set, a close match. Bloomfield had already won the first set, and Westfield desperately needed to win the second. The ball was served and tapped back and forth various times, both the Blue Devils and the Tigers determined to keep it in the air. It was slapped left, then right, and came close to returning to earth many times.
One minute later the ball remained in play, possibly one of the longest rallies of the season. Eventually Bloomfield struck down with force, finally causing the scoreboard to change and taking a needed point. It was one of many moments that favored Bloomfield as the Blue Devils lost in the North, Group 4 sectional semifinals and had their season come to an end.
Westfield came into Friday’s match riding high on its successes. The No. 7 seed Blue Devils cruised after wins against No. 10 seed East Orange and No. 2 seed Passaic Tech. Both victories were in two sets, the latter an impressive upset, securing the Blue Devils’ place in Friday’s semifinal matchup.
The match was quick, the runtime totaling just about an hour. Bloomfield won the first set and put Westfield in an unfamiliar place, only its sixth time giving up the first set in 27 matches this season. The second set was close. The teams spent the set going back and forth, both claiming and losing the lead somewhat constantly. This set was highlighted by powerful hits from both sides, most notably from Westfield senior co-captain Jason Billings.
Bloomfield scored multiple points in a row and took a 16-14 lead when Westfield finally called a timeout. Bloomfield was gaining steam, and Westfield had few answers. The Tigers began to dominate, running tight blocks at the net and serving with speed, firing the ball on to the Westfield half. Westfield would score a couple more points but Bloomfield carried on and won the second set, 25-17, winning the match in two sets.
“The blocking was phenomenal, we got frustrated with the block and instead of rolling and tipping we kept on bounding, and they blocked us very well,” said head coach Ed Saggio.
Westfield’s season has come to an end, and with it one of the greatest turnarounds ever seen in a Westfield sports program. Boys volleyball began just six years ago and had, up to this season, performed abysmally. The team’s greatest finish until this season came last year when its final record sat at 12-12 and it finished sixth in the conference. Now Westfield not only finished with a winning record, but also cemented itself as one of the best teams in the conference, finishing in second place, trailing only powerhouse Scotch Plains-Fanwood, currently one of the highest-ranked teams in the state.
The Blue Devils finished the year with a 20-7 record and proved themselves a formidable opponent. Despite falling short of their ultimate goal for the season, the leap made by this program is one of incredible proportions, and this should be known as the year a culture of success was created within boys volleyball.
“Winning 20 games, we set the bar for the next group coming through,” said Saggio.
