Thursday, November 12, 2009
ORADELL – In a rebuilding year, the River Dell Golden Hawks (14-7) have surpassed expectations, tying Dumont for third in the league, competing in the Bergen County Tournament and advancing through the ranks in the NJSIAA Group II state tournament. River Dell has competed in both the Jersey Classic, hosted by Paramus High School, and the Northern Valley Invitational, hosted by Demarest High School, along with splitting their matches against Rutherford.
In the first round of states on Nov. 2, the Hawks, seeded ninth, defeated the Pleasantville Greyhounds (10-11), seeded 24th, by a score of 25-6, 25-7.
The Hawks took on the Greyhounds with a level of intensity and ferocity that left their opponents reeling. River Dell took an early lead as captain and middle blocker Andrea Bolf, who had two kills, led her team on a three-serve rally before siding out. Greyhounds libero Jessica Molina was able to get her team on the board before the Hawks regained control of the game on a five-point rally. Greyhound Ashley Delon spiked her lone kill of the day before Bolf and Caitlyn Gallagher picked up their own kills. Hawks libero Emily Fishbein was River Dell’s lead defensive player in the first game – she didn’t allow any shots to get past her.
The Hawks continued to rally as they picked up point after point until Pleasantville called their second time out of the match trailing 22-6. Trying to come back after both Jessenya Alicea and Melana Belfield hit the ball into the net, the Greyhounds could not side out and start a rally of their own as they watched the first match go to River Dell, 25-6.
“It’s nice to win,” Bolf said. “Coach has been saying that we could go far this year. We’ve been rebuilding the team for the past two years, so we’re just going to go out there and see what we can do.”
Heading into game two, the Hawks started off just right again as outside hitter Kelsey Clark, with nine assists, started off with a five-point rally. River Dell’s momentum slowed as the Greyhounds, steered by Belfield and Molina, tied up the game.
The Hawks bided their time and reclaimed the match with the powerful hitting of middle blocker/setter Kate Brock, who found her comfort zone while serving her team on a 14-point rally.
Brock, who has a season high of 139 kills and 18 digs, finished the game with three kills and three assists against Pleasantville. Gallagher spiked seven kills.
With a 23-7 lead, Furusawa substituted Brock with outside hitter Juliette Belger, who easily finished off the game with help from Gallagher and libero Molly Rivera.
Belger and co-captain Erica Wilts finished out the game with two kills each. Emily Wilts also had a kill.
By winning, the Hawks moved on to the second round to face the eighth-seeded Indian Hills Braves (14-11) on Nov. 6. River Dell lost to the Braves in the first round of the county tournament, and fell again in the states. In the Nov. 6 match, Brock had 15 kills, Clark had 17 assists and Kolbie Owens nine digs.