Boys Volleyball Power Point Races to Watch

As the conference and county tournaments are either complete or finishing up for boys volleyball, some very intriguing races are under way for power points. Ultimately, these power points will help to determine seeding for the NJSIAA State Tournaments for all of the groups.

Here are some of the most intriguing races for the respective sections:

North Group 1:

Passaic Charter is currently the top team in the section, leading Harrison by 35 power points. Harrison has a chance at 37 power points with a win over Secaucus and 43 points with a win over North Bergen. Passaic Charter has some big opportunities to completely put away Harrison and clinch home-court advantage with wins over Fair Lawn (54 points) and Livingston (46 points).

North Group 2:

Ramapo, Summit and Vernon are currently 3-4-5 in the North Group 2 and are separated by a total of 20 power points. Ramapo has Bergen Catholic, Morristown and Jefferson on their upcoming schedule and those games may help the Raiders to solidify a favorable position in the North Group 2 tournament.

North Group 3:

While Scotch Plains-Fanwood is far and away the favorite to earn the top seed, both Fair Lawn and Hackensack are separated by just 12 points for the race to earn the 2-seed. That is all fine and well, but the most intriguing part of this section is at the bottom-half of the projected bracket. Randolph, Iselin Kennedy and Belleville are 11-12-13 and are separated by 23 points. In addition, there are some teams at 15 (Chatham) and 16 (Bergen Catholic)  that can solidify their fate in the tournament with some wins this week. Teams like Irvington and North Star Academy are on the outside looking in for the moment. A team I want to look at is Chatham. The Cougars are looking to make history and make the state tournament for the first time in the history of their program. A big win over North Star Academy last week earned Chatham 36 power points and the Cougars have more opportunities and likely control their own destiny going forward.

North Group 4:

The top 2 seeds are currently in great shape, Bridgewater-Raritan and Livingston. The 3-4 race between Clifton and Elizabeth is fun to watch because one team is not going to like their potential matchup against wither Bridgewater-Raritan or Livingston. I, personally, do not know who I would rather face if I was either of those two teams. Nonetheless, this race should be a fun one to watch.

South Group 1:

There are a bunch of sub-.500 teams in this section, which means ANYTHING can happen in states. An upset here, an upset there, and BOOM—we’ve got a brand new race. The 12 through 16 spots are separated by 24 power points. It is certainly anyone’s guess as to who will get seeded where.

South Group 2:

Pinelands is currently 17 points ahead of St.Joseph’s (Metuchen) for the 1-seed, but St. Joseph’s (Met.) has a quad on May 18, which includes Bergenfield, Glen Ridge and Elizabeth. With power points closing on the 18th, that quad may help to settle who gets the 1-seed in the South Group 2 tournament.

South Group 3:

Similar to the South Group 2, the South Group 3 has a tight race. This section’s featured race includes current 2-seed Northern Burlington and 3-seed Freehold Borough. Northern Burlington is just 15 points up on Freehold Borough for the 2-seed, and both teams play each other on May 16—just 2 days before power points close.

South Group 4:

The battle between the top two teams in this section, Old Bridge and Southern, makes for a fun race as we start the final week of power points. Both teams are separated by 16 points, and Old Bridge can certainly control their own destiny. A Greater Middlesex Conference title would go a long way towards solidifying the top-seed, effectively clinching a home-court advantage throughout the South Group 4 tournament.

Power points close on May 18th, and seeds get finalized shortly thereafter. We will keep you posted on the seeds and brackets for the sectional and group tournaments as they become available.