October 30, 2010
Patriots repeat as champs
The Patriots celebrate after repeating as Hudson County champions.
Click Here for more photos from Bayonne vs Secaucus.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
JERSEY CITY – After dropping the first game in last night’s Hudson County Championship match, the message Secaucus head coach Tiffany Meyer had for her team was clear – if they wanted a championship, they would have to be more aggressive.
Playing with a renewed aggression would pay off for the Patriots as they recovered from the early deficit to knock off previously unbeaten Bayonne 24-26, 25-11, 25-19 to repeat as Hudson County champions.
“We couldn’t just keep hitting (lobs),” senior Shannon Waters said. “The way we were going to win was by attacking the ball. There was no other way to put it.”
“I told them in the first game we stopped attacking the wall,” Meyer said. “I was like ‘stop the JV bump-overs and let’s play varsity volleyball and start attacking the net.’ That’s what they needed to do and started doing in the second game.”
Trailing, but not defeated, Secaucus (23-3) used that attacking style to take control of the match behind both Shannon Waters and her cousin Alexis. T
he second-seeded Patriots took control with an early 10-2 run in the second behind two kills and a block from Alexis. Shannon Waters would deliver the exclamation point on a dominant second game, with four kills during a 10-1 run to force a decisive third game.
“(We knew) that we were definitely going three games,” Alexis Waters said. “We just had to step up.”
“I just think they got a couple of quick points on us and it just took the steam out of us right away,” Bayonne head coach Pat Longo said. “They had a lead and we just couldn’t fight back from that lead in the second game.”
Secaucus seemed poised to have a similar outcome in the third after racing out to a 14-5 lead. But the top-seeded Bees (19-1) would not go down quietly as Tonia Ford and Amanda Borges combined for five kills and a block to make it 22-19.
It was as close as Bayonne would get as the Patriots used a Danielle Roesing kill and a pair of Bees faults to close out the match.
“I think the match was well-played,” said Longo, calling it her team’s best performance of the year. “I thought at the end we had a little bit of a run coming, a little bit of a momentum shift, but it just didn’t come our way tonight.”
Shannon Waters led the way for Secaucus with 12 kills in the win, while Alexis added seven kills. Roesing (who is also cousins with Alexis and Shannon Waters) assisted on most of those kills and added nine service points.
Senior Gabriella Gerace had nine digs, six kills and four blocks for Bayonne. Krissia Bernardino had 15 assists and six digs, while Ford had five kills and five blocks. Borges and Francely Inoa each had four kills and four digs.
Both teams now turn their attention towards the state playoffs as Bayonne travels to Clifton for the first round of the North, Group IV bracket. Secaucus has a first round bye in South, Group I and will face the winner of Harrison and McNair on Friday.
“You can’t ask for a better scrimmage before the states start,” Meyer said. “Right now you’re looking for competitive games and to be in a county tournament and a county final is the best competition you can get before a state match.”
Bayonne sophomore Amanda Borges had four kills and four digs.
1st |
2nd
|
3rd |
|
| Secaucus Patriots (23-3) | 24 |
25 |
25 |
| Bayonne Bees (19-1) | 26 |
11 |
19 |