WAYNE – Bogota coach Brad DiRupo believes dedication and year-round commitment separate his girls volleyball program from the competition.
That devotion was on full display Saturday when the Bucs defeated Kinnelon, 25-18, 25-11 in the Group 1 title match at the William Paterson Rec Center.
For top-seed Bogota (29-4), it’s their second consecutive Group championship and eighth since 2007. The reward is a ninth trip to next weekend’s NJSIAA Tournament of Champions.
“Our kids play year-round. We have our own club program and they play eleven out of twelve months. And these are the benefits of doing that,” DiRupo said. “Kinnelon had a great season and if we didn’t play our best they could have beat us. I think we’re one of the better teams in the state. If we play our game, we’re tough to beat.”
After falling behind by four early in the first game, the Bucs went on an 8-0 run and finished with an 18-14 lead. The rally shifted the momentum in their direction and ultimately secured the early advantage.
Junior setter Amber Vasquez recorded 25 assists and four digs and set up senior outside hitter Nylene Mateo, who finished with a match-high 16 kills.
What it means
Bogota has now won eight of the last 10 Group 1 titles and has appeared in every championship game this decade. The Bucs will be making their eighth TOC appearance and ninth overall since the TOC was introduced in 2002.
Key sequence
The Bucs led from the start of the second game, and built a 15-7 advantage after going on a 6-0 run. They held a 21-10 lead before closing out the match and winning by a 14-point margin.
In the first game, Bogota’s largest lead was six points, 24-19, before closing it out.
By the numbers
► Bogota outside hitter Kiara Polanco had six kills and two digs.
► Freshman Gianna Estevez had 10 digs for Bogota.
► Kinnelon senior Allison Sienicki recorded eight kills.
► Senior Erin Ahart had eight assists for Kinnelon.
Game balls
Bogota’s persistent pressure around the net proved too much for Kinnelon, especially the play of Mateo, who had 16 digs. The senior’s overall performance was valuable as she recorded two blocks, five digs and an assist.
“I knew that I would have to hit sharper across because the block was obviously there,” Mateo said. “We prepared a lot for this game. Some of us were a little nervous at the start, but we eventually settled down.”
They said it
“At the start of the season, we focused on passing and getting the lead. Once we get a lead, we’re back in the game. There’s a lot of dedication and offseason work here. It’s year round. If you’re committed, you’re committed. You’ll go and play at clubs. After club, we have open gym. It’s just a lot of commitment to get to where we are.” – Bogota senior Julianne Corniel.
“We actually started this journey last year, when our juniors were starters. Our goal since then was to win the state sectional and compete at the state final. What an experience to play at William Paterson. My big push, when I came in 10 years ago, was to build the culture. We added a middle school team, a rec team. This senior class is one of the first rec and middle school programs we’ve had. That’s what’s changing the game and our style of play and level of skill.” – Kinnelon coach Stephanie Finke.
