Any team can perform well when things go their way. Without obstacles to overcome, any average squad is able to pull together a win. A real team’s worth is shown when they are punched in the gut. Plans thrown out the window, papers on the floor and scattering to find a solution. Strong teams are able to jump over the hurdles that they face, and prove their dominance to all watching.
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Girls Volleyball team revealed their true worth, fighting through the obstacles that presented themselves, and coming out victorious in a tight three set battle against the Dayton Bulldogs, Thursday, Oct. 10 at SPFHS. With the triumphant 2-1 win (26-28, 25-17, 25-16), the Raiders have now won five matches in a row, including nine out of their last 10 contests.
Improving their record to 13-5, the Raiders are in full control of the Union County Conference – Mountain Division, and are a top threat in the county come tournament time. Facing adversity throughout the game, SPF was able to bounce back and end up on the winning side. After losing and letting the Bulldogs crawl back into the first set, the Raiders were able to repair errors of slow movement on defense and passing mistakes to switch the momentum heading into the rest of the match.
Junior setter Elyse Lamberti credits the Raiders ability to snap back, to the team being able to all work together and not get upset about prior mistakes.
“We all rally [around each other],” Lamberti told The Fanscotian. “We always put it together. We know that we need to play our game and put our 100% into it.”
Lamberti was the maestro of the offense controlling the tempo of the game while also frequently chatting with head coach Adrienne Stack about the team’s next moves. A maestro will only be as good as their musicians, and Lamberti was surrounded with a plethora of powerful teammates who contributed to the win.
With junior hitter Maddie Byrne unable to play in the game, SPF relied on junior DJ Ngumah to lead the change. Ngumah, sophomore Brynn Cardenas and senior Sam Friscia were all able to attack Dayton’s weaknesses up front, and exploit their lackluster defense.
“I think DJ [Ngumah] dominated the front row. [Sam] Friscia did a great job passing, serving, really trying to make it happen in the front row,” Stack said. “[Elyse] Lamberti did a great job setting, [Brynn] Cardenas, who is normally not an outside player, stepped up and played a great outside game tonight.”
Varying her sets with each ball, Lamberti had a surplus of options to feast at the net and rack up points throughout all three sets. Cardenas, Friscia and Ngumah combined for a total of 27 kills, nine, 10 and eight respectively. Additionally, seniors Chelsea Martin and Audrey Coyne contributed to the strong offensive performance with powerful play in the front row.
Early in the first set, Lamberti notched her 200 career assist on a set to Ngumah, an achievement that she does not take lightly.
“[Getting my 200 assist] was the best. It was a great feeling,” Lamberti said. “I’ve been waiting for it to happen.”
Any strong offense needs to be paired with a well built defense, which was true in the case of the Raiders. Constantly rotating players in the back row, SPF battled through their miscues and were able to limit the effect of hits from Dayton’s outsides. Both Friscia and Ngumah also made major contributions on defense, along with freshmen Rihanna Rodrigues and Emily Trojan.
“It’s all about doing your own job and not worrying about somebody else’s job,” Stack said. “We talk a lot about playing your 1/6 at 100% whatever your 100% is, you have to bring your 100% so that all of those pieces come together to make a whole.”
Evident to anyone in the stands, the energy of this Raider squad is something that is inseparable from the team. Whether it is players on the bench, or members of the junior varsity team, constant chants, foot stomps or positive reinforcement gives the six on the court extra power to perform.
“I feel like our energy has really made a big impact on how we play as a team. The more energy we have the better we play,” Lamberti said.
The Raiders will look to expand on their five game winning streak on Monday, Oct. 14, away against Hillsborough. For Stack, she believes each player having confidence in themselves and their teammates will be the key to continuing the team’s success throughout the rest of the season.
“Just trust each other, trust that your [teammate] is where she needs to be and trust that the ball is where it needs to be, so that you can do your job,” Stack said.
