The Fall 2023 girls volleyball season was one to remember, for sure. Let’s take a look at each team in the NJAC to find out what each team is looking forward to–they all have bright futures ahead.

PLUS…we have some hardware to hand out! Keep reading for more!

NJAC American

Division Champs: Sparta

Sparta accomplished some amazing feats this season, including defeating then No.1 IHA on the road, in addition to winning the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex championship for the first time in program history. The Spartans finished the season 22-2 overall and were led by captains Payton Simpson and Haley Maher. Four Spartans tallied at least 120 kills (Aralyn Saulys – 161, Payton Simpson – 147, Tara Keller – 136, and Lea Tsamadias – 120). Some breakout players were setter Giselle Faria (led the team in assists and aces) and Emma Kristiansen (led team in blocks).

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Aralyn Saulys 161	Tara Keller andEmma Kristiansen 13	Haley Maher 283	Giselle Faria 293	Giselle Faria 51

Morris Knolls finished the 2023 season with a 19-8 record, after falling short in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 finals. The Golden Eagles were runners-up in the Morris County tournament, and had won nine consecutive games during the season. Knolls was led offensively by Abby Mackey and Olga Rostek. Grace Peters, Olga Rostek, Sophia Vnenchak and Bri Finley each recorded at least 22 service aces for Morris Knolls, keeping teams off-balance for a majority of the season. Morris Knolls will return some big-time firepower (Abby Mackey, Olga Rostek and Laci Merz) and should be a fun team to watch in 2024.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Abby Mackey 131	Laci Merz 34	Bri Finley 269	Grace Peters 406	Grace Peters 43

Roxbury went 15-9 in the 2023 season under first-year head coach Ali Correnti. The Gaels had big shoes to fill, after Victoria Latino and Lorie Horta graduated. Roxbury had to rotate setters, but did a solid job getting the ball to Tayla O’Connor and Bianca Jackson. Those two hitters mashed a combined 301 kills this season. Middle-blocker Sarah Biczak recorded 96 blocks (most in all of NJ) and the back-row defense was solid, three Gaels each recorded over 100 digs last season. Isabella Gil broke out with 154 digs and a team-high 43 service aces.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Tayla O’Connor 161	Sarah Biczak 96	Tayla O’Connor 199	Lauren Snoke 216	Isabella Gil 43

Montville won the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 title for the second year in a row under head coach Angelica Maiello. The Mustangs won seven games in a row, capped off by the sectional championship win against West Essex. Cassandra Chauhan drove the bus for Montville, crushing a team-high 299 kills. The Mustangs racked up 1,489 digs as a team, led by junior defensive specialist Kaitlyn Chen. Lena Unice took over for Michela Voit as the starting setter, and Unice dished out 452 assists this season. Montville returns Chauhan, Chen, Unice, Adrianna Pressimone, Lauren Kideckel and Sophia Istvan and will definitely be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Cassandra Chauhan 299	Lauren Kideckel 90	Kaitlyn Chen 347	Lena Unice 452	Lena Unice 45

West Morris was another team with huge shoes to fill, following the graduating class of 2022-23. Ava Novello, Angelina Mauro and Natalia Agnolet made a huge impact two seasons ago. This season, the Wolfpack was led by breakout star Elizabeth Murphy. Murphy mashed 184 of her team’s 404 kills. Senior setter Kaitlyn Poggi racked up 352 assists and 47 aces for West Morris this season. Senior defensive specialist Ella Skirbe recorded 214 digs, making her presence felt on the defensive end of the game.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Elizabeth Murphy 184	Abby Soltes 17	Ella Skirbe 214	Kaitlyn Poggi 352	Kaitlyn Poggi 47

Mendham accomplished some great things under first year head coach Maria Castro-Alvarez. The Minutemen upset 3-seed Nutley and 6-seed Summit in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament. Shayna Petrucci and Jane Klosowsky led the charge in terms of scoring this season, while Alena Pfersch burst onto the scene with an incredible performance as the team’s libero. Catherine Rudd and Rachel Havey split time setting, as the Minutemen ran a 6-2 offense. Both setters had very strong seasons. Next season, Mendham will look to find a new setter to replace Rudd and Havey (both seniors) and this team should be a very interesting group in 2024.  

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Shayna Petrucci 92	Tessa Kelleher 13	Alena Pfersch 220	Catherine Rudd 177	Catherine Rudd 37

NJAC Freedom

Division Champs: Morris Tech and Jefferson

Morris Tech came out of the gates red hot, starting the season 11-0. The Devils finished with an 18-4 record, thanks to a strong offensive season from Molly Newton, a strong defensive season from Sophie Bleibtreu and a great season distributing the volleyball by setter Jordan Plansky. Katie Letwink and Jordan Plansky each tallied over 100 digs apiece this season, in addition to Bleibtreu. Next season, the Devils will need to find players to step in and replace Newton and Bleibtreu as those two will be graduating. Jordan Plansky will return and be a mentor for the new hitters that will play large roles on this team.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Molly Newton 181	Molly Newton 57	Sophie Bleibtreu 227	Jordan Plansky 320	Molly Newton and Jordan Plansky 30

Jefferson had a strong season, ending with an 18-7 record. In the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament, the Falcons were ousted by eventual Group 2 champs Demarest. Senior outside-hitter Maggie Gesek led the way for Jefferson, as she led the team in kills and digs. As a team, the Falcons racked up 258 aces for an average of over 10 aces per game. Jefferson will need someone to fill the shoes of Maggie Gesek, Grace Weihmiller and Kirstin Wendolowsky as those three will be graduating. Key returners for Jefferson are Scarlett Melick, Kylie Plunkett, Kailey Strauch, Aleah Woelfel. Keep an eye on rising sophomore Peyton Bradley as she will provide Jefferson with a versatile option both on the offensive and defensive areas of the game.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Maggie Gesek 204	Grace Weihmiller 33	Maggie Gesek 230	Aleah Woelfel 323	Grace Weihmiller 50

Hackettstown had an up-and-down season, ending with a 15-11 record. Senior Lana Howard racked up 143 kills, while sophomore phenom Ava Fiedler mashed 155 kills of her own. Izzy Rueda stepped into the libero role and ran with it, being the quarterback defensively for Coach Tags and the rest of the Lady Tigers. LTV (Lady Tiger Volleyball) was a fun team to watch, as they played strong defense for most of the season. Four Lady Tigers racked up over 119 digs each, while the team totaled 929 (almost 36 digs per game). Hackettstown will need to find some middle-blockers for next season, but LTV should be strong next season with Fiedler, Jacobsen and Rueda all returning.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Ava Fiedler 155	Lana Howard 24	Izzy Rueda 265	Jen Jacobson 247	Lana Howard 57

Vernon was in for a rebuilding year, with many players having graduated after the fall season in 2022. The Vikings finished 9-11 and Coach Sorensen found some bright spots to build the program off of for years to come. Most of the Vernon hitters will be graduating, which means that Kaylie Orlando will have to work with the new hitters and establish a rapport for the upcoming season. Look for Abby Sokolewicz to be a force in the front row for Vernon, while libero Elizabeth Peek will return as the team’s quarterback as it pertains to defense and passing.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Gabi Sierpinski 81	Abby Sokolewicz 2	Elizabeth Peek 144	Kaylie Orlando 298	Kaitlyn White 27

High Point started their season off 3-1, but dropped their final 13 straight matches. Senior Mikayla Conklin was the heartbeat of the Wildcats, leading the team in kills, blocks, digs and aces. Conklin, Brooke Wagner and Kerstin Crane were the biggest options for Ashlyn Ritson to get the volleyball to when High Point was on offense. Next season, look for Brooke Wagner, Kaylee Little and Kalie Whitemore to be leaders of the Wildcats.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Mikayla Conklin 57	Mikayla Conklin 6	Mikayla Conklin 103	Ashlyn Ritson 108	Mikayla Conklin 19

NJAC Independence

Division Champs: Morristown-Beard

Morristown-Beard had a strong season, finishing with an 18-7 record en route to being crowned the NJAC Independence division champions. The Crimson won seven straight games to start the season and that was in large part because of senior Ellen Manke’s contributions. Manke led the team in kills, blocks, digs and aces. Morristown-Beard will need to replace Manke and Colleen Ewing, in addition to Aiyana Hobbs, Riley Engman and Annabel Simon. Coach Stephanie Galvez will need to look for and develop players to help the Crimson to compete at the same level they did this past fall.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Ellen Manke 263	Ellen Manke 21	Ellen Manke 63	Colleen Ewing 407	Ellen Manke 49

Parsippany really turned their program around after a 4-19 season in 2022. The Red Hawks finished with an 11-12 record, after starting the season off 3-0. Parsippany will be returning their main hitters: Nekkanti, Vitiello and Goarcke in addition to setter Elisabeth Karkanias who was the heartbeat of the offense for the Red Hawks. Head Coach Corey Meyer really changed the culture in Parsippany, getting the players excited early on in the season. Look for the Red Hawks to have another solid season in the fall of 2024, with lots of promise on the horizon.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Yashasvi Nekkanti 108	Yashasvi Nekkanti 15	Barbara Karkanias 179	Elisabeth Karkanias 245	Kaitlyn Goarcke 44

Villa Walsh had another rocky season, but once they got Delaney Caughey back, the Vikings were more balanced as a team. Villa Walsh made a run in the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group B tournament, taking down Bishop Eustace and DePaul, ultimately being taken down by St. Mary (Rutherford). Coach Yombor had lots of contributions up and down the roster. Meaghan O’Malley and Delaney Caughey let the team offensively, but will be graduating in the spring. Ava Brancatella, the libero, will also be graduating, leaving a considerable void defensively. Setters Maria Costello and Lily Meier will be returning and presumably serve as leaders for the Vikings in 2024.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Meaghan O’Malley 107	Delaney Caughey 33	Ava Brancatella 201	Maria Costello 100	Claudia Steinberg 33

Pequannock had a tough season, finishing with a record of 5-13. The Panthers saw some freshmen step onto the scene and play large roles. Ella and Fiona Arnold were two of those freshmen who led the team offensively. Pequannock will not be losing many seniors and will be able to build in 2024. Ella and Fiona Arnold, Alexandra Guardino were all impactful and will hopefully inject more life into the Pequannock volleyball program. The future is bright for the Pequannock Panthers.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Ella Arnold 32	Ella Arnold 17	Alexandra Guardino 37	Fiona Arnold 78	Ella Arnold 32

Dover did not have the easiest of times this season, but the Tigers certainly have had some bright spots. Junior Atianna Danzey led the way for Dover in both kills and aces. The junior outside-hitter also tallied 197 digs, which was the second most on the team. Freshman Lizmar Peguerro had a phenomenal season as the team’s middle-blocker, racking up 64 blocks. Next season, Dover will return some solid talent, starting with Danzey, Brianna Otero and Peguerro. 

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Atianna Danzey 95	Lizmar Peguerro 64	Nathaly Minchala 217	Brianna Otero 140	Atianna Danzey 42

Whippany Park also had a tough season this past fall. Emma Guerard was the heart and soul of the Whippany Park Wildcats, and did a lot of everything for the team. Most of the production will be graduating, namely Guerard, Lily Pecora and Ellie Williams. For Whippany Park, the program will look to continue to develop their existing varsity and junior varsity players for the future.
 

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Emma Guerard 53	Emma Guerard 15	Lily Pecora 93	Alyssa Wang 58	Emma Guerard 31

NJAC Liberty

Division Champs: Kinnelon

Kinnelon was fantastic this season. After dropping their first game of the season, the Colts won their next ten games. Kinnelon had a great year, winning the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 title against the Bogota Bucs. Coach Stephanie Finke had to be impressed with the production she saw from her seniors, in addition to the promise that some of her younger players displayed. Lindsey Millis and Sophie Pogodin absolutely mashed the volleyball, accounting for 439 of the team’s 526 kills. While Pogodin led in kills, Millis played great back-row defense to get the ball to Julia Gutkin and ultimately Pogodin to end the play with a lefty kill. Some key returners are Gutkin, Cignini, Sophia Parisi and Alisa Friedman. Friedman may be one of the most intriguing players, having stepped into the libero position and really took control defensively. Kinnelon will look to have a solid 2024 season, they just need to find out who will score the ball, without Pogodin and Millis.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Sophie Pogodin 234	Maddie Cignini 13	Lindsey Millis 217	Julia Gutkin 394	Lindsey Millis 53

Parsippany Hills was strong, finishing with a record of 18-7. The Vikings won nine games in a row in the middle of the season, in addition to advancing to the Morris County semi-finals. Three players finished with at least 111 kills, while two players dished out at least 193 assists in that 6-2 offense. Par Hills averaged over 10 aces per game, keeping teams out of system early and often. Coach Lavin will need to find replacements for their two starting outside hitters (Olivia Collings and Emily Galante) who combined for a total of 249 kills. Aside from that, the Vikings will return both setters (Apoorva Bhargava and Abbey Collings), both middle-blockers (Adele Kasper and Ananya Bhargava) and their libero (Julia Pars). It will be interesting to see who steps up their game to take the two starting outside hitter roles on the team in 2024.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Olivia Collings 135	Adele Kasper 37	Julia Pars 200	Apoorva Bhargava 237	Ananya Bhargava 56

Madison had a really solid season under Head Coach Stephen Fenton. Three players on the team mashed at least 101 kills and two of those players also had at least 30 blocks each. As a team, the Dodgers amassed 1,113 digs, averaging over 44.5 digs per game. In fact, three players had at least 205 digs, which is really impressive. Eva Errichetti stepped in and replaced Sydney Bruns who graduated last spring and was a great quarterback for the Dodgers’ offense in her first season on the varsity team. Some key returners are Sophia Christoffers and Eva Errichetti, while Coach Fenton will look to re-fill his two outside-hitter positions which were filled by Angelina Christoffers and Izzy Hunter (both seniors).

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Angelina Christoffers 130	Olivia Bruno 37	Izzy Hunter 211	Eva Errichetti 465	Sophia Christoffers 50

St. Elizabeth finished the 2023 season with an 11-12 record under first year Head Coach Cara Bodnar. Clare Farrell and Mackenzie Siegel racked up a majority of the kills for AOSE this past fall. Clare Farrell will be graduating this spring and she has meant everything and more to this program. Farrell will go down as the best player in program history (840 kills, 478 digs, 172 aces). Greta Servitto had a strong season as a middle-blocker, as she led her team in blocks. Three players racked up at least 125 digs (Farrell, Siegel and Amanda Acevedo) and senior setter Amanda Chambers dished out 400 assists this season. Chambers is also one of the best players to ever don the Panthers’ jersey. Amanda Chambers will finish her career with 1,227 assists and 100 aces. Next season, Siegel, Acevedo, and Madi Benegas will look to lead the Panthers to another strong season. Keep an eye out for Maren Foley, Anna Toohey as well as Piper Tricarico and Maddie Wilt as potential players to make a statement for AOSE in 2024.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Clare Farrell 249	Greta Servitto 27.5	Clare Farrell 171	Amanda Chambers 400	Mackenzie Siegel 61

Hanover Park finished with a record of 9-14 under Head Coach Tara Kelly. Both outside-hitters Kelly Stephen and Sara Krajkovich combined for 230 of the team’s 354 kills. Michaela Chigwedere and Sarah Diamante led the charge in the middle-blocker position, being rock solid from start to finish (84 blocks total). Next season the Hornets are going to have to search for a new outside to fill Stephen’s shoes and a middle-blocker to fill Chigwedere’s shoes. Aside from that, most of the starting lineup will return, which is a positive sign that Hanover Park should be fairly consistent in 2024.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Kelly Stephen 121	Michaela Chigwedere 48	Ruby Marlin 200	Jolie Casale 213	Kelly Stephen 58

Mountain Lakes finished with a record of 9-12 and was led by senior outside-hitter Rory Curran. Curran led the team in kills (149) and aces (30). Natasha Clark and Angelina Tagliareni were blocking the volleyball all season long, tallying 100 blocks between the two. Next season, the Lakers will have to replace Rory Curran, Mia Bella Lentz, Victoria Lizardi and Tagliareni who will be graduating in the spring. Keep an eye on Izzi Lee, the libero, as she will look to take the next step and be the defensive queen of the court for Mountain Lakes. Supporting cast members Clark, Polina Dolinsky and Adriana Pop will also look to make a big impact next season.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Rory Curran 149	Natasha Clark 75.5	Izzi Lee 204	Mia Bella Lentz 235	Rory Curran 30

Morris Catholic was going to be rebuilding, and they knew that coming in. Despite the wins not being there all the time, the Crusaders had a lot to be proud of. For instance, Ali Guzzardo was a setter and was moved to libero and this helped the offense immensely, getting solid passes to Jocelyn Lovins who could distribute the ball. Lovins has established herself as more than competent as a setter, and is going to be a junior next season. Then you look at Kaelyn Brown, who will be a sophomore and led her team as a freshman in kills. Ava Valenta, Arden Acuna and Eva Arvelo also will return, and Morris Catholic should be just fine–especially with Head Coach Emily Gonzalez facilitating everything. Players proved themselves and it will be a much more positive season next year for the Morris Catholic Crusaders. Look out!

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Kaelyn Brown 66	Rose Gerdes and Varsha Sathiyan 10	Ali Guzzardo 314	Jocelyn Lovins 115	Ali Guzzardo 32

NJAC National

Division Champs: Morristown

Morristown was absolutely incredible this past season. Head Coach Kathy Hormaza led this Morristown volleyball team to the Morris County Tournament Championship, the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 Championship, and suffered their only loss on the last day of the season to eventual No.1 team in the state Southern Regional. One word to describe this team: TOUGH! Yes, they had some height, some athleticism, but they were also gritty. The Colonials took down No. 1 Sparta towards the end of the season and then volleyball enthusiasts all around were wondering if this team was for real. For real they were. Gwen Atkins and Sarah Bogert each mashed over 120 kills each, while Maya Summerville and Gwen Atkins were so strong at the net, and you can even throw Rachel Van Sciver in there too. Defensively, three players notched over 100 digs and that defense kept them in almost every game. Bella Stephan and Gwen Atkins totaled 402 of the team’s 468 assists in that 6-2 offense and you better believe that it is a setter’s dream to have so many options to set the ball to (Sarah Bogert, Atkins², Summerville and Wisloff). This team will be back next season and looking to do major damage just as they did in 2023.  Key returners include Gwen and Hailey Atkins, Bella Stephan, Mary Wisloff and Ashley Padilla (5 out of 7 starters).

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Gwen Atkins 146	Maya Summerville 26	Hailey Atkins 181	Bella Stephen 215	Hailey Atkins 49

Mount Olive finished with a record of 12-10 under Head Coach Tom Reszka. After losing three straight matches towards the end of September, the Marauders won the next seven consecutive matches, which included upset victories over 7-seed Morris Tech and 2-seed Roxbury. Mount Olive will need to find players to fill the voids of Rose Ceralli (libero), Sofia Cruz (setter), Erin MacLachlan and Erin Perrault (outside-hitters) as those players will be graduating. Look out for Genessa Baltazar to make an impact next year, possibly as the libero, while Angelina Keenan will look to build on an already impressive freshman campaign in her sophomore season next year. Key returners Emily Fusiarz and Mishka Fernandez will look to lead the Marauders as seniors in 2024, providing excellent stability for the team.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Mishka Fernandez 221	Angelina Keenan 34	Rose Ceralli 181	Emily Fusiarz 257	Emily Fusiarz 41

Chatham improved on last season, finishing with an 11-8 record under first-year Head Coach Steve Santonastaso. The Cougars upset 1-seed Belleville in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament, before being defeated by Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the sectional semis. Julia Kleinle was the heartbeat of the Chatham Cougars, while Julia Bardecki and Bea Tanas also had very strong seasons in their senior year. Rising senior setter Nicole Bary will return, as well as Sadie Doyle, Grace Hilpert, Dylanie Vargas and Natalie Yacykewych–all of which played big roles in last season’s success. Look for Vargas and Yacykewych to take big steps forward for Chatham in 2024 and the Cougars should be a very fun team to watch!

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Julia Kleinle 101	Julia Kleinle 37	Natalie Yacykewych 135	Nicole Bary 118	Julia Bardecki 29

Pope John had a rather tough season in 2023, finishing with a record of 9-16 (4-6 NJAC National). The Lions will graduate some players that contributed greatly, including Olivia Barragan, Lauren Duffy, Reagan Healy and Lian Vieluf. Next year, Head Coach Tyler Singh can look forward to a future that includes Reagan Daly, Kasey Dugan, Avery Griffin and Christiana Lipka. One player to look out for is Kasey Dugan. The libero also has great hands and can set in certain scenarios, to go along with strong serving and passing ability. The Lions have a bright future ahead!

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Lian Vieluf 129	Christiana Lipka 24	Kasey Dugan 200	Lauren Duffy 200	Reagan Healy 32

Randolph was another team that had a tough season, but saw a few bright spots. All of the Randolph seniors made big impacts on the team. Olivia Berlin mashed 90 kills and 13.5 blocks, Sam Einfeldt racked up 302 digs, Megan Geuther crushed 121 kills to go along with 13 aces, and Dora Katsanos dished out 231 assists and floated in 21 aces. Looking ahead to next season, some key returners are going to be Belinda Carcamo, Bella Carreira, Regan Galloway, Klara Hindson, Jazmine Holder, Viki Katsanos and Caitlin Sciubba. The player to watch: Klara Hindson. Why? The freshman has such poise, great hands as a setter and has a NASTY serve. Randolph has their setter for the next three years.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Megan Geuther 121	Regan Galloway 23.5	Sam Einfeldt 302	Dora Katsanos 231	Klara Hindson 30

Morris Hills didn’t get the results they wanted, despite being in a lot of close games. The ball just did not go the way the Scarlet Knights wanted, which does happen. Coach Hobson will have to replace some key players: Nayeli Alvarez, Evette Colon, Juliana Dattolo, Stephanie Haessig and Kim Relyea. Look out for Alexis Kuras to take the next step for Morris Hills next season, in addition to Ellania Morales. Morales is an absolute sparkplug of energy and this lefty can do it all defensively and is a serviceable setter.

Team Leaders

KILLS	BLOCKS	DIGS	ASSISTS	ACES
Stephanie Haessig 109	Nayeli Alvarez 11.5	Ellania Morales 184	Kim Relyea 174	Stephanie Haessig 38

NOW…without further ado…we have some hardware to hand out!

Garden State Sports has selected an NJAC Player of the year and NJAC Coach of the Year.

NJAC Player of the Year

Gwen Atkins – setter/opposite – Morristown

STATS

• 146 kills
• 20 blocks
• 93 digs
• 187 assists
• 25 aces

This lefty can do it all. Gwen Atkins has a strong left hammer to crush the ball from the right-side and can set the ball with the best of them in back-row rotations.  Gwen is one of the most versatile players in NJ, let alone the NJAC. This Morristown rising-senior also has elite blocking ability and a NASTY hybrid serve. Do not be surprised when this player decides which college she will play at–some school will be so lucky to get this player!

NJAC Coach of the Year

Kathy Hormaza – Head Coach – Morristown

I mean, what else can you say–Hormaza led this Morristown team to a Morris County Tournament title, as well as a spot in the Group 4 finals, in what was the most exciting season in team history. Every single player loves playing for Coach Kathy and it really shows on the volleyball court. This team went from a 13-8 season in 2022 to 23-1 in 2023 and that really shows what type of impact that this coach has had on this program.

With that…stay tuned for the Spring 2024 boys volleyball season!