By: Greg Tartaglia – Record Sports
WAYNE – Alyssa Vazquez has options.
Not that the Bogota junior hasn’t before. She is in her second full season of setting for a girls volleyball program with a lineage of top-flight hitters.
In Saturday’s Mary Ann Collura Tournament at the William Paterson Rec Center, Vazquez helped keep everyone involved in the championship final. The Bucs defeated Northern Highlands to claim the title for the second year in a row, 25-17.
Outside hitters Briana Lozano and Julianne Corniel, middle Leila Ksiyer and opposite Nylene Mateo combined for eight kills off assists from Vazquez, who also served a 5-0 run to help Bogota pull away.
“We don’t have a star like Sam [Giordano, graduated 2016 Player of the Year], but we just help each other and try to star as a team,” Vazquez said.
Of equal importance throughout the tournament – in which the Bucs completed pool play 5-0 – was the defense, led by libero Lisbeth Suarez. The senior averages five digs per set on the season and is on the court for every rotation.
“When the back row is on, everyone is on,” Suarez said. “Everyone kind of feeds off our energy, like if we get a nice [dig], they’re there to back us up.”
“It’s kind of a weird combo: Our back row kids are our seniors, our front row kids are our underclassmen,” Bogota coach Brad DiRupo said. “When we control the back row, we’re really good. Our libero is an All-County player, and with Anna [Granquist] and Alexa Siri, when they’re on their game, they’re tough, because we can spread the offense.”
It is somewhat rare for the Bucs not to employ at least one bona fide “go-to” hitter. Players like Giordano, Janet Snell, Carly O’Sullivan and Julia Topor finished near or over 1,000 kills for their careers throughout the past decade.
“It’s different,” DiRupo said. “Sometimes different is better – more kids are involved. But we’re getting to the level we need to be. We’re inconsistent at times because of the youth, but one thing I’ll never complain about is, they work hard at practice every day.”
Northern Highlands reached a title game for the second straight weekend, following up a victory in the Leonia Tournament.
The Highlanders went 5-0 their pool, capping round-robin play with a 25-22 win over second-place Secaucus (4-1). Juniors Haley Kresch and Jessica Shulmann keyed a 9-3 run to end the game, which the Patriots led by as many as six points early on.
Mary Ann Collura Tournament
(at William Paterson; *Pool winners advance to championship)
POOL 1: Northern Highlands 5-0*, Secaucus 4-1, Dumont 3-2, Wood-Ridge 2-3, DePaul 1-4, Walington 0-5.
POOL 2: Bogota 5-0*, Rutherford 4-1, West Orange 3-2, Leonia 2-3, Ridgefield Park 1-4, Emerson 0-5.
FINAL: Bogota def. Northern Highlands, 25-17.
NJIC Volleyball
