Monday, November 23, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Kristen Flatekval and the IHA seniors went out with a third straight T of C title by sweeping Bridgewater-Raritan, 25-15, 15-14, in the final at William Paterson on Sunday.

WAYNE -- With a Bridgewater-Raritan error on the final serve of Saturday afternoon’s final of the Tournament of Champions the most dominant season by any team in the history of high school girls volleyball officially came to an end. It’s a lofty statement, but there are plenty of facts to back up that assertion when talking about Immaculate Heart Academy.

With the 25-14, 25-15 win over Bridgewater-Raritan, IHA clinched its third straight T of C title, the first team ever to do that. It improved to 30-1 on the season with the lone loss coming against an out of state opponent (Eden, NY) that was nationally ranked when the two teams played.

The two games that IHA lost against Eden represented the only two games it lost all season, meaning that in 30 matches and 60 games played against New Jersey competition, IHA did not so much as lose a single set. Oh yeah, and the team it ran over in about 45 minutes in the T of C final came in to the game as the Group 4 state champion that had won all 33 of its previous matches.

“This is one of the best, if not the best, team ever to play in New Jersey. People don’t want to admit that or say that, but it is true,” said Nolan, who has had some pretty good ones in the last three years and before that at Secaucus. “It’s not just about [senior middle hitter] Ariel Scott, she is the most dominant player ever in New Jersey, too, but the rest of the team compliments everything she does.”

Kristen Helmstetter and BW-R finished the season with a 33-1 record and a Group 4 state title.

There is no arguing that point either as all of the Blue Eagles contributed in a big way against Bridgewater-Raritan. Scott led the way with 12 kills and four blocks and also added a team-high 12 digs, not bad for a 6-foot-4 middle hitter, but she got plenty of help. Setter Kristen Flatekval handed out 26 assists, Raquel Scott had 6 kills and 4 digs, Danielle Michaels did damage on the outside with 6 kills and added 6 digs, Petra Parros added 4 kills and libero Michelle Cruz had nine digs. Throw in Athena Garbarino’s 10 service points and three aces and IHA had all of the bases covered.

“We obviously wanted to focus on Ariel and we got a couple of blocks on her today, but if it wasn’t her than it was someone else putting the ball away,” said Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Corey Romanak. “They are a tough team to try to key on a certain player against because they have so many of them.”

IHA got right after it in the first game as Ariel Scott’s block finished off a 4-0 spurt to start the match. To the Panthers’ credit, they hung in there and when Nicole Rovi hit the back line with a swing from the middle, Bridgewater-Raritan squared the opening game at 6. Ariel Scott gave IHA the lead back for good at 7-6 with a boomer from the middle, but the Eagles couldn’t shake BW-R until late in the game.

Leading 17-13, Ariel Scott knocked a ball off the fingertips of the Panthers’ block and that sparked the 7-1 run that the Blue Eagles used to close out the first set. Two of Michaels’ six kills came on successive points, the first gave IHA game point and the second one gave her team the 1-0 lead.

Danielle Michaels had six kills for IHA, which finished the season without dropping a single game against New Jersey competition.

Bridgewater actually got off to a quick start in Game 2 by scoring the first three points, but IHA reeled the Panthers in and Raquel Scott’s rocket off the Panthers’ block gave IHA the lead for good at 4-3. Bridgewater-Raritan kept itself within striking distance when Callie Biely hit one off the block to get the Panthers to within 10-8, but an 8-1 IHA run came right after and the rest was just for record keeping as the Blue Eagles were well on their way to their third straight T of C title.

“They all feel good because every year had their own personality,” said DeCastro, when asked to differentiate between the state titles of the last three years. “The first one was great because it was the first one; the second was special because the way we won it, we went three games with Caldwell; and this one was for the 3-peat. They all have their won defining moment about it.”

And for IHA’s senior class that includes Ariel Scott, Parros, Flatekval, Garbarino and Riley Boswell, it was the exclamation point on the legacy they leave behind.

“It is literally a dream come true. We worked so hard for all we accomplished and it is great that we are able to go out like this,” said Parros. “This was such a great team to play for because everyone on it is good as something and contributed in their own way. The reason for our success was that everybody did something to help the team.”

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