Sunday,
November 15, 2015
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Bogota celebrated its fourth Group 1 title in the last five years after a 25-23, 25-12 win over Leonia in the state final on Saturday at William Paterson University. |
WAYNE – In Group 1 volleyball it is hard for Bogota to play the underdog card. The Bucs have been the most dominant small school program in the entire state for the better part of the last decade and by a long shot at that. But heading into this season, there were some questions. Bogota had its run of four straight state championships ended last season in the Group 1 final and, in the offseason, four would-be seniors decided to end their high school careers one year early and not play this year.
That left a roster with only one senior left on it, setter Amanda Manzo, and a lot of work to do if the Bucs were going to get back to their lofty perch atop Group 1 and back in the Tournament of Champions.
Up against Leonia, a team enjoying the best season in program history, in Saturday’s Group 1 state final at William Paterson University, Bogota showed it still has that championship mettle. Down 23-21 in the first set, Bogota scored the final four points of that game to steal a 1-0 lead and then poured in on in Set 2 to take a 25-23, 25-12 victory and take back the Group 1 state championship trophy.
Bogota has now won five of the last Group 1 state titles and this one was especially sweet for head coach Brad DiRupo.
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Maxine Walsh had five kills for Leonia, which finished the best season in school history with a 24-2 record. |
“We had a chip on our shoulder because we had four kids leave the program, four seniors over the course of the end of last year and early this year. I had one senior left and no one thought we could do it,” said DiRupo. “We have a couple of juniors, a senior, and a bunch of sophomores and freshmen and no one thought we could do it. We were on a mission this year to prove everybody wrong.”
It was a fun atmosphere at Willie P. as Leonia, a school that does not often find itself in state championship contests in any sport, was backed by a rowdy student section; boisterous and clad in maroon and gray. Bogota’s volleyball program has built up plenty of community support of the years and the dueling crowds went back and forth following the ebbs and flows of the action on the court.
The Leonia contingent was at its loudest when junior outside hitter Briana Cahill went cross court for the point that pushed the Lions to within two points of taking the opening set.
“We haven’t played this strong of competition on a regular basis. We have faced some tough teams here and there during the course of the season, but to face a team constantly coming at you, and has the confidence like they do, it is tough,” said Leonia head coach Steve Corn. “We were right there with them in the first game, it was a tough loss to take and to have to get right back on the court with your confidence a little shaken, for us it was something new and it was tough to overcome.”
With its new-found momentum, Bogota ran out to a 4-0 lead in the second game and a 5-0 run, with four of those points coming on the serve of Madison Heck, gave the Bucs a 10-3 advantage. Julia Goni went cross court to make it 15-4 and a long rally that ended with Jaelyn Grullon sneaking one through the fingertips of a Leonia block made it 20-8.
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Samantha Gioiosa had a match-high 10 kills for Bogota, which will play River Dell in the first round of the T of C. |
Samantha Gioiosa hammered one down from the outside to give Bogota the only match point it needed as Amanda Manzo served a winner to end it and send the Bucs into the Tournament of Champions where it will play Group 2 champion River Dell in the opening game on Saturday at William Paterson.
Gioiosa, a junior, and Manzo, the Bucs’ setter and lone senior, are the only holdovers from last year’s team and they assumed the leadership role on Saturday. Gioiosa finished with a match-high 15 kills and added 7 digs while Manzo handed out 22 assists. Lisbeth Suarez also had 7 digs for Bogota, which improved to 25-3.
“We had confidence in our team that even though we lost some players that we would still get it done on the court,” said Gioiosa. “Other people stepped up their roles and it showed today. We played with heart, we came back in the first game and we finished strong.”
Leonia got five kills from junior Maxine Walsh, 13 assists from senior setter Jennifer Alva and 10 digs from senior libero Lee Joon Choi as it finished up the best season in school history. The Lions finished at 24-2 with their only losses coming to Group 4 Ridgewood in the Bergen County Tournament and to Bogota, the Group 1 juggernaut.
“No team [in school history] has gone this far and we have let them know how proud we are of what they have done this year,” said Corn. “Right now it is hard for them to accept that, but I think, down the road, they will realize just what they really accomplished this year.”
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