Union Catholic Volleyball Team Beats Scotch Plains, 2-1

Two of the top girls’ volleyball teams in Union County reside right here in Scotch Plains, with rivals Union Catholic and Scotch Plains putting on quite a show Friday afternoon at the Union Catholic gymnasium.

Both teams entered with winning records and will receive high seeds when the Union County Tournament is seeded Tuesday night in Westfield.

Scotch Plains won the first game 25-22, holding off a late Union Catholic rally.

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

In the third and deciding game, the home team Vikings erased a quick 2-0 deficit and then built up a 16-10 lead before the visiting 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.

Scotch Plains senior captain Kim Wenson delivers a kill to pull the visiting Raiders to within 20-17.

Union Catholic senior outside hitter Emily 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.

The Vikings improved to 8-4, while Scotch Plains fell to 8-4.

Both teams should be commended for the performances they put forth.

“Once we got going in the second game, our confidence started to build and we relaxed,” Union Catholic head coach Nancy 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,” Scotch Plains head coach Adrienne 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. I think this program has come a long way and we’ve fought hard. All of our losses this year have come to very tough teams and we’ve gone to three games against all of them.”

Scotch Plains, which was riding a four-game winning streak, came out ready to go in the first game and quickly built a 12-7 advantage on a kill by senior captain Natalie Deduck.

Union Catholic called a timeout when it was down 14-9, but Scotch Plains continued to play well and took a 22-15 lead on an ace by Wenson.

After the Raiders made it 24-18 in their favor, the Vikings came back to get the score to 24-22 on service points by sophomore Julie Monroy, with her team’s 22^nd point coming on a Monroy ace.

Scotch Plains players Deduck and junior Aysia Peterson combined to hit the ball over the net where Union Catholic could not return it for the game-winning point.

Union Catholic was ahead 11-4 in the second game 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 Wilman stemmed the tide. Wilman had another kill after that.

“We didn’t think the block wasn’t getting over to her,” 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.”

Senior captain Becky Brand produced numerous points with her outstanding play for Scotch Plains in the first game.

“Becky Brand is strong outside and very aggressive on defense,” Stack said.

Wenson was solid in all three games.

“She didn’t buckle at all today and she fought hard,” Stack said of Wenson. “Becky and Kim are captains and they really helped keep this team alive today.”

Wilman finished with 12 kills, three digs and one ace. 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 an injury. She is wearing a brace on her right leg.

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

NOTES: Most likely, the top five seeded teams for this year’s UCT will be Union Catholic, Roselle Catholic, Cranford, Scotch Plains and Westfield.

Union Catholic defeated Roselle Catholic, Roselle Catholic beat Cranford and Scotch Plains and Scotch Plains and Union Catholic both beat Westfield.

“I think based on who beat who and head-to-head right now it should probably be us and then Roselle Catholic because we beat Roselle Catholic, but then it should be Roselle Catholic because they beat Cranford,” Saggio said. “I don’t know where you put Rahway.”

Union Catholic edged Rahway 2-1 in Rahway on Sept. 24.  

Cranford was the top seed last year, after winning the crown in 2007.

Union Catholic won the championship in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2008.

"It could be anybody’s game, you never know,” Saggio said.

 “Right now we’re 8-4 and I think we should be seeded pretty high,” Stack said. “I know we can play with anybody that we get seeded against.”

SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS

RESULTS (8-4):

Sept. 11 (H) West Essex 2, Scotch Plains 1

Sept. 14 (A) Scotch Plains 2, Plainfield 0

Sept. 16 (H) Scotch Plains 2, Elizabeth 0

Sept. 21 (A) Scotch Plains 2, Westfield 1

Sept. 23 (H) Scotch Plains 2, Union 1

Sept. 24 (H) Roselle Catholic 2, Scotch Plains 1

Sept. 29 (H) Ridge 2, Scotch Plains 1

Sept. 30 (H) Scotch Plains 2, Summit 0

Oct. 2 (A) Scotch Plains 2, Linden 0

Oct. 5 (H) Scotch Plains 2, Plainfield 0

Oct. 7 (A) Scotch Plains 2, Elizabeth 0

Oct. 9 (A) Union Catholic 2, Scotch Plains 1

UNION CATHOLIC VIKINGS

RESULTS (8-4):

Sept. 11 (H) Union Catholic 2, Summit 0

Sept. 17 (A) Hunterdon Central 2, Union Catholic 0

Sept. 22 (H) Union Catholic 2, New Providence 0

Sept. 24 (A) Union Catholic 2, Rahway 1

Sept. 25 (H) Union Catholic 2, Roselle Catholic 0

Sept. 28 (H) Science Park 2, Union Catholic 1

Sept. 29 (A) Livingston 2, Union Catholic 0

Sept. 30 (H) Union Catholic 2, Plainfield 0

Oct. 1 (A) Union Catholic 2, Roselle 0

Oct. 2 (A) Union Catholic 2, Westfield 0

Oct. 5 (H) Old Tappan 2, Union Catholic 0

Oct. 9 (H) Union Catholic 2, Scotch Plains 1