In 'Another Step,' Volleyball Reaches Sectional Final

In what coach Peter Zisa called "another step," the top-ranked Fair Lawn boys volleyball team easily dispatched Bergen Catholic, 25-10, 25-11, in the NJSIAA North 1 sectional semifinals Wednesday afternoon.

Dan Nugent powered the Cutters (34-2) with 11 kills and four service aces, but Zisa credited a defense that he said neutralized the Crusaders' top hitter, Brendan McCullagh, making it "really hard for them to get him the ball in good situations."

Fair Lawn will host the sectional finals on Friday, 4:30 p.m. against Wallington. Zisa said the team's goal is to improve and grow with each practice, then "hopefully be good enough to win this whole thing.”

“It’s just another step, and we’ve got a few more games to go hopefully in this ride,” Zisa said of Wednesday's win.

The Cutters used an 8-0 run to build a 16-3 lead in game one. Nugent, who Zisa called "the key" to Fair Lawn's offense, ended the game with a kill. Game two wasn't much different, with Fair Lawn building a 13-4 advantage after a 6-0 run. Nugent's two-handed tap put the Cutters up 17-7 on the way to their 25-11 win.

Brian Toron paced Fair Lawn with 17 assists. Chris Nugent had five kills, and Oren Zyndorf totaled seven digs.

Bergen Catholic Coach Mike DeCastro said Fair Lawn was a tough matchup for his team because of the Cutters' confidence that stems from big-game experience.

“They’re the no. 1 team in the state for a reason," DeCastro said. "They have very good players, they have a lot experience, and not just experience from playing in past seasons but experience playing in this kind of an occasion.”

Bergen Catholic (22-8) went 8-0 in the Big North Division 3 this season, winning a league title despite losing five seniors from last season and returning only two players with varsity experience.

"We had a pretty good season considering what we came back with from the previous year," said DeCastro, who added that the campaign "surpassed my expectations" and "definitely exceeded what anybody else expected from us."