From the moment tournament director Joe Skrec handed the microphone over to Kelsey Dix, the entire night was a harmonious experience for the Westfield girls volleyball team.
Dix, a senior on the squad, did a terrific job with her rendition of the National Anthem, and the Blue Devils followed that act by hitting every note on their way back to the top of Union County.
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10/30 – 7:30 PM Girls Volleyball Final Union Catholic 0 Westfield 2
Sweeping defending champion and second-seeded Union Catholic in straight sets, 25-14, 25-20, top-seeded Westfield claimed its third crown in four years in the Union County Tournament final at Harwood Arena on the campus of Kean University.
Now 20-5, the Blue Devils were led by Binghamton-bound senior Ava Gaspard, who finished off 11 kills to put the Blue Devils over the top in this one.
Union Catholic – featuring a very young lineup, including two freshmen – dropped to 18-7
“It was rough not getting to the finals last year,” said Gaspard, who now has 622 kills in three varsity seasons. “It means a lot to come back here and win, especially as a senior. We played really well tonight and we were focused.”
Union Catholic came out strong, taking an early 5-1 lead after capitalizing on a few Westfield errors.
But the Blue Devils would then unleash an 11-2 run, riding a pair of aces by both Vicki Morey and Audrey Hu.
Morey quietly had herself a fantastic all-around match, recording five kills to go with nine digs and a block to go with two aces.
Four Gaspard kills would help Westfield maintain a 17-14 edge.
But with Abby Wilson now serving, the champions rattled off eight in a row to win going away. An ace from Wilson and blocks by both Sophia Simeone and Anneliese Bonn spurred on the run
“Twice with Abby serving we went on big runs. That can kind of get lost in a match, but she did a great job with that. (Union Catholic) is obviously a great program, and used to being here, but we had the upper hand this year,” said Westfield coach Beverly Torok.
Emilia Dengler rattled off five service points including an ace, putting Westfield ahead 15-8 in the second.
But Union Catholic, showing championship mettle, did not go away easy. The Vikings went on an 8-2 run to trim their deficit to 17-16 in the second.
Vikings captain Alyssa Kenol had a terrific run in that span, blocking three Westfield shots and finishing two kills of her own.
“We have a really younger team yet that isn’t quite there yet,” said Vikings coach Nancy Saggio. “Once we gain experience and learn how to win these big matches, we could be in a different spot after a county final.”
Just as Union Catholic was closing in, Wilson came through and served up four more service points, including an ace.
An ace served by Union Catholic’s Sabrina Capati capped off a 4-1 Vikings run to cut it to 23-20, but a wayward serve and Morey’s fifth kill of the match ended the festivities.