Old Bridge volleyball team exceeds all expectations
Girls team knocked off by GMC champ East Brunswick
At the beginning of the season, Carol Silverberg, the new coach of the Old Bridge High School girls’ volleyball team, was hoping for a .500 season. The Lady Knights exceeded all expectations.
Old Bridge went 12-7 overall, reached the finals of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament before bowing to East Brunswick, and qualified for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournament, where the Lady Knights lost in the first round to Ridgewood, 15-9, 15-4.
"Our most major accomplishment was making the state tournament," Silverberg said. "The girls played well and they walked off the court with their heads held high. They’re a unified group and they play well together."
Senior co-captains Averee Castillo and Kimberly Adoptante are the team leaders. Castillo is a scorer, while Adoptante usually anchors the backline. Lauren Koster, an outside hitter, is the Lady Knights’ other senior.
Three juniors, Kristen Marshall, a good blocker; Amanda Meatto, a middle hitter; and Stacey Swider, a backliner who was the team’s most consistent server; round out the Old Bridge starting lineup.
Silverberg worked several other players onto the court throughout the season. Juniors Clare Li and Kristen Nemeth gained valuable experience, as did promising sophomore Lynn Ginsiorsky.
"Next year we’ll be realigning a bit and probably be bringing up a few players from the junior varsity team, which had a strong season," Silverberg said. "We have the potential to have a terrific team, but we’re going to miss our seniors."
The first-year coach praised her team for working hard during the season, and also credited assistant coach Peter Brennan for being instrumental in the Lady Knights’ success.
"It was a great experience to coach this team," Silverberg said. "Their work ethic was more than rewarded by the results. They accomplished a lot in a short period of time. I’m very proud of them."
When the year began, the Old Bridge team hoped to have a winning season and to qualify for the state tournament. Apparently, this talented team set its expectations too low, and with the program growing each year, it’s unlikely that will happen again. The Old Bridge girls volleyball program isn’t going to sneak up on anyone anymore.