SP-F and Union Catholic Volleyball Teams Meet Again for County Semifinals

Beating the Union Catholic girls’ volleyball team in one game is not impossible.

Scotch Plains achieved that at Union Catholic back on Oct. 9.

However, downing the Vikings a second time to win a match is a lot more challenging.

Scotch Plains also found that out a little more than two weeks ago when Union Catholic came back to beat the visiting Raiders 2-1 in regular season play.

The two in-town rivals will meet again with much more on the line Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the first Union County Tournament semifinal match at Union Catholic.

Top-seeded and defending champion Union Catholic advanced after beating eighth-seeded Union 2-0 at home Friday in its quarterfinal.

Fourth-seeded Scotch Plains ousted fifth-seeded New Providence 2-0 at home Saturday afternoon to reach the semifinals once again.

Tuesday night’s second semifinal at Union Catholic pits third-seeded Cranford vs. second-seeded Roselle Catholic at 7:30 p.m.

The top four seeds made it to the semifinals and you can also make the argument that the four best teams in the county will vie for the county championship.

Cranford, which lost in the final last year to Union Catholic after winning the championship in 2007, defeated sixth-seeded Westfield 2-0 at home Friday in its quarterfinal.

Roselle Catholic eliminated seventh-seeded Rahway 2-0 Friday to reach the semifinals.

Records as of Sunday included Union Catholic 16-4, Roselle Catholic 14-5, Cranford 13-5 and Scotch Plains 13-6.

The championship match is scheduled for Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at Union Catholic. This is the second year in a row that Union Catholic is hosting the semifinals and final.

When Scotch Plains visited Union Catholic in regular season play, the Raiders took it to the Vikings in the first game before holding on for a 25-22 victory. Behind the outstanding play of senior captains Kim Wenson, Natalie Deduck and Becky Brand, Scotch Plains found itself in a better position to handle anything hit back over the net by the host Vikings.

“I think this program has come a long way and we’ve fought hard,” Scotch Plains head coach Adrienne Stack said. “I know we can play with anybody we go up against.”

Union Catholic jumped out to a big lead in the second game and won convincingly 25-16.

Union Catholic was ahead 11-4 before you knew it and then extended that lead to 17-6 before Scotch Plains made a bit of a comeback.

The Raiders got the game to 20-14 before a key kill by Union Catholic standout senior outside hitter Emily Wilman stemmed the tide. Wilman had another kill after that.

“We didn’t think the block wasn’t getting over to her,” Union Catholic head coach Nancy Saggio said. “We thought she had some pretty good looks up court, but they weren’t rotating. I told her to go that way and she did a good job.”

In the third and deciding game, the Vikings erased a quick 2-0 deficit and then built up a 16-10 lead before the Raiders came back to pull to within 18-16.

Union Catholic called its first timeout at that point.

It was anybody’s game, with the match ready to be decided.

Scotch Plains serves and the ball hits the net - Union Catholic 19-16.

The Vikings gain another point when the ball hits the net and then the floor for a 20-16 cushion.

Wenson delivers a kill to pull the visiting Raiders to within 20-17.

Wilman answers with one of her 12 kills on the day to put the Vikings in front 21-17.

Sophomore middle Annyssa Herlihy then took the ball to serve for Union Catholic and closed the game out with three service points, including the last one being an ace.

Union Catholic won the third game 25-17 to win the match 2-1.

"Once we got going in the second game, our confidence started to build and we relaxed,” Saggio said. “A lot of stuff you see go on with us is so mental. We’re our own worst enemy and, again, once we settle into what we need to do, we can play.”

"I think any team that gets a lead that early in the game can really set the tone that they want to set,” Stack said of UC getting out in front in the third and deciding game. “I think there were flashes of when my girls fought back, like at 18-16.”

For Union Catholic, Wilman finished with 12 kills, three digs and one ace. Sophomore standout Julie Monroy had seven kills, two digs and four aces and senior captain Colleen Sweeney two kills, 16 digs and 15 assists.

Union Catholic’s other two captains are senior libero Catie Finnegan and senior middle Geri Pinto, who did not play because of leg injury. She has since returned to the lineup.

Theresa Pollack, a junior, also played well at the libero position for the Vikings.

For Scotch Plains, Brand had eight kills, one block and 14 digs; Wenson nine kills, three blocks, nine digs, three service points and one ace and Rebecca Kreyer one dig, 28 assists, 10 service points and three aces. Junior Aysia Peterson had six kills, five digs, one assist, three service points and one ace. Deduck finished with four kills, one block, one dig, four service points and one ace.

Roselle Catholic defeated Cranford 2-1 on Sept. 23 at Roselle Catholic.

Union Catholic defeated Roselle Catholic 2-0 on Sept. 25 at Union Catholic.

Cranford played Scotch Plains and Union Catholic on consecutive days last week, with the Cougars beating the Raiders 2-1 in Scotch Plains on Oct. 19 and the Vikings beating the Cougars 2-1 in Cranford on Oct. 20.

Union Catholic defeated Cranford in 2-1 in last year’s championship match. Union Catholic won the first game 26-24, Cranford the second 25-17 and Union Catholic the third 25-22.

Like Cranford last year, Union Catholic is attempting to repeat as the top seed. Cranford was the top seed and defending champion last year and Union Catholic the second seed.

Union Catholic has won six titles since 1998 and last year won for the first time in three years.

Union Catholic is 3-0 in regular season play against the other three semifinalists, while Roselle Catholic is 2-1, Cranford 1-2 and Scotch Plains 0-3.

REGULAR SEASON MATCHES BETWEEN THE SEMIFINALISTS

Sept. 23: Roselle Catholic 2, Cranford 1 – at Roselle Catholic

Sept. 24: Roselle Catholic 2, Scotch Plains 1 – at Scotch Plains

Sept. 25: Union Catholic 2, Roselle Catholic 0 – at Union Catholic

Oct. 9: Union Catholic 2, Scotch Plains 1 – at Union Catholic

Oct. 19: Cranford 2, Scotch Plains 1 – at Scotch Plains

Oct. 20: Union Catholic 2, Cranford 1 – at Cranford

NOTES: The junior varsity semifinals are at Roselle Catholic Tuesday night. It will be fourth-seeded Cranford vs. top-seeded Roselle Catholic at 4 p.m., followed by sixth-seeded Mother Seton of Clark vs. Union at 5:30 p.m.

In Saturday’s quarterfinals at the Rahway Recreation Center, Mother Seton defeated Union Catholic, Cranford downed Dayton, Union eliminated Elizabeth and Roselle Catholic ousted Summit.

In Oct. 17 first round matches at the Rahway Recreation Center, Summit defeated New Providence, Elizabeth beat Scotch Plains, Mother Seton downed Westfield, Dayton eliminated Linden, Cranford defeated Rahway, Union Catholic beat Johnson, Union downed Plainfield and Roselle Catholic received a bye.

2009 VARSITY GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT  

SEEDS:

1-Union Catholic. 2-Roselle Catholic. 3-Cranford. 4-Scotch Plains.

5-New Providence. 6-Westfield. 7-Rahway. 8-Union.

9-Dayton. 10-Oak Knoll. 11-Elizabeth. 12-Linden.

13-Summit. 14-Kent Place. 15-Johnson. 16-Roselle.

17-Plainfield.  

PRELIMINARY ROUND:

Thursday, Oct. 15

Plainfield defeated Roselle - at Roselle  

FIRST ROUND:

Friday, Oct. 16

New Providence 2, Linden 0 - at New Providence

Scotch Plains 2, Summit 0 - at Scotch Plains

Union 2, Dayton 1 - at Union

Union Catholic 2, Plainfield 0 - at Union Catholic

Westfield 2, Elizabeth 1 - at Westfield

Cranford 2, Kent Place 0 - at Cranford

Rahway 2, Oak Knoll 0 - at Rahway

Roselle Catholic 2, Johnson 0 - at Roselle Catholic  

QUARTERFINALS:

Friday, Oct. 23

Union Catholic 2, Union 0 – at Union Catholic

Roselle Catholic 2, Rahway 0 – at Roselle Catholic

Cranford 2, Westfield 0 – at Cranford

Saturday, Oct. 24

Scotch Plains 2, New Providence 0 – at Scotch Plains 

SEMIFINALS:

Tuesday, Oct. 27

At Union Catholic

4-Scotch Plains vs. 1-Union Catholic, 6 p.m.

3-Cranford vs. 2-Roselle Catholic, 7:30 p.m. 

FINALS:

Thursday, Oct. 29

At Union Catholic

Junior varsity match, 6 p.m.

Varsity match, 7:30 p.m.

UCT CHAMPIONS THIS DECADE:

2008 – Union Catholic

2007 – Cranford

2006 – Westfield

2005 – Union Catholic

2004 – Rahway

2003 – Elizabeth

2002 – Union Catholic

2001 – Union Catholic

2000 – Union Catholic