Volleyball: Bogota makes it #12 in a row !

NorthJersey.com

BOGOTA – The Bucs stopped everyone again for another girls volleyball title.

Top seed Bogota (25-2) earned its 12th straight sectional championship Tuesday night with a 25-20, 25-11 sweep of No. 3 Glen Rock in the North 1, Group 1 final. The Bucs will visit Verona in the Group 1 semifinals on Thursday.

Glen Rock (17-6) pushed the Bucs in the first game and kept the score close, but in Game 2, junior Ashanna Caviness powered the Bogota offense and it was a brilliant display of volleyball.

“What I saw in the second set was other players step in,” Bogota coach Katherine Sura said. “If we had passes that were off-target, we still turned it into offense and that takes a true team effort. We stayed calm and focused.”

The post-game celebration was also relatively calm. The Bucs streak is one of the most impressive by a public school program in North Jersey. One thing the Bucs were going to do as soon as possible was FaceTime Bogota athletic director Brad DiRupo, who has sat out from coaching this season dealing with a medical issue.

“We talk just about every day,” Sura said.

According to Bogota junior Mia Pimentel, DiRupo’s message to the squad has been to give 100 percent effort at every opportunity.

“It’s hard [without him],” Pimentel said. “It’s a different environment because he’s usually always here. He pushes us to be the best we can be, but we play to make him happy just as much as if he were here.”

The first game was tight with Bogota maintaining a lead of 3-5 points throughout. Glen Rock got great effort at the net from Hope Lagemann and Polina Lipsits and was down 20-16 late in the game.

That was when Bogota was able to find a higher gear. Gyanna Hernandez had three big kills as the Bucs finished the game strong.

“I reminded them for the second set that we had to refocus on our game plan,” Sura said. “We did a good job serving to spots and we had a strategy behind what we practiced and when we stick to our game plan, we were in good position.”

Game 2 started well for the Panthers, who took a quick 2-0 lead, but after that it was all Bucs. Caviness was all over the court, hitting from multiple angles and everything was getting down. Bogota reeled off eight straight points, and won going away.

Despite her team’s record and success, Sura called it a season of character building. She noted the fact that the volleyball season was truncated last school year and her desire to make the volleyball court feel like a safe haven for her team this fall.

“We have a big junior class, but when you think about it, their sophomore season was during a pandemic, so this is really their first time playing in high-stakes matches,” Sura said. “We talk a lot about perspective, challenges and working together.”

Pimentel said that message has gotten through.

“No one knows what happens to other people during the day, so when you get to the court and you’re with your teammates, you are supposed to bring them up,” Pimentel said.

No one has been able stop Bogota short of this point in 12 years. Verona will be a big test. The two schools met in a tournament and played just one set. Sura said she knows they are well-coached and is looking forward to the challenge.

Darren Cooper is a high school sports columnist for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app. Email: cooperd@northjersey.com Twitter: @varsityaces

Volleyball: Bogota makes it #12 in a row !

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