RAIDER ROUNDUP
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High girls’ volleyball team continued on its pace to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time in school history with two victories in three matches last week.
Hillsborough sandwiched victories over Watchung Hills and West Windsor Plainsboro South around a loss at North Hunterdon to enter this busy four-match week with a 5-3 record. After a Tuesday contest on the road at Hackettstown, the Raiders were scheduled to come home for three straight matches vs. Watchung Hills, Ridge and Vernon to complete the week.
The HHS girls built some momentum last week and several different players contributed. Christina Galera continued her stellar season as the team’s playmaker with a game-high 19 assists in Thursday’s 25-19, 25-17 sweep over WWPS in Hillsborough. Jessica Zivi (3 kills, 2 aces), Patty Manhart (4 kills, 4 digs) and Samantha Jackson (4 kills, 3 digs) also starred in the victory.
Jackson powered the Raiders in their 25-14, 25-14 home sweep of Mount St. Mary with six kills and two aces. Manhart had four kills and three aces, Sara DiClemente had three kills and two aces and Shana Ramandi led the defense with nine digs.
Hillsborough’s only loss of the week came at North by a 25-17, 25-18 score. Lindsey Watts led the Raiders with four kills and two blocks.
Wilson, Palmer score
in first hockey win
The HHS field hockey team posted its first victory of the 2006 campaign at Watchung Hills last week by a 2-0 score.
Victoria Wilson and Kelsey Palmer connected with the back of the cage in the second half after the teams played a scoreless first half. Gillian Cardinale and Dorian Gilmartin-Dzitko contributed the assists.
HHS senior goalkeeper Ellyn Griggs made 10 saves for her first shutout of the season.
The Raiders didn’t play again until Saturday night under the lights at Hunterdon Central. It was their first visit to the Flemington campus since last year’s thrilling 1-0 victory in the state playoffs.
Central avenged that loss with a 3-0 shutout, scoring all three goals in the first half.
Hillsborough (1-4) was scheduled to host Franklin and North Hunterdon this week on the stadium field. The Raiders need to win both games to stay in the hunt for a state playoff berth.
Boys stay hot with
two more shutouts
The HHS boys blanked North Hunterdon and Watchung Hills by identical 3-0 scores, running their soccer win streak to five straight games. The Raiders have also won three consecutive games by the same score.
Chase Barbieri connected twice, once in each half, to fuel the team’s home victory over North. Mike Argueta assisted on Barbieri’s goal in the first half, while Yannick Smith’s corner kick set up Barbieri in the second half. Smith also notched an assist on Rob Marley’s goal later in the game.
Casey Koplik made five saves for his first varsity shutout.
Smith and Barbieri exchanged roles in Thursday’s win at Watchung. Smith scored twice and Barbieri dished out two assists. Marley added a goal and an assist and Mark Ksiezopolski also had an assist.
Zach Zamek took his turn in goal and made nine saves for the shutout.
The Raiders (5-1) are scheduled to host Hunterdon Central and Franklin this week. Both games will be part of doubleheaders with the field hockey team. Thursday’s divisional battle vs. Franklin will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Gymnasts win twice
to remain unbeaten
Fresh off an outstanding effort at the Pioneer Invitational, the Raider gymnastics team returned to action two days later and pulled off another rally to win a tough meet at Cherokee.
Hillsborough trailed at the midway mark of the meet after the vault and bars rotations but used outstanding performances on beam and floor to score 109.6 points for the victory. All five HHS gymnasts stuck their beam routines to start the comeback.
Mary-Kate Lynch (9.55) and Christina Rhoades (9.5) hit personal bests on beam to lead the way. Freshman Jess Leinbach (9.175), Kristen Shaw (8.15) and Laura Lysyj (8.1) rounded out the team’s clean performance on beam.
The Raiders closed it out with a fine effort on the floor. Lynch led the way with a 9.65, but Rhoades (9.45), Leinbach (9.375) posted personal bests. Nicole Cicero (8.925) also hit a new personal standard.
Lynch won the all-around (37.25), while Rhoades finished second with a personal-best 37.1. Rhoades and Lynch also hit 9.2 on vault earlier in the meet.
Thursday’s 107.35 score included contributions from almost everyone on the HHS roster. Head coach Beth Murrin elected not to use anyone in the all-around. She used 11 different girls to give more competitors a chance to post sectional qualifying scores.
Seven girls matched or posted personal bests in the meet Rhoades (9.4) and Kelly Weber (8.55) on vault, Leinbach (8.625) on bars, Kayla Lotierzo (8.25), Megan Goldschmidt (8.6) and Leinbach (9.3) on beam and Cicero (8.95) on floor.
The Raiders (4-0) were scheduled to host Bridgewater-Raritan and Somerville in a Skyland Conference tri-meet Wednesday.
Tennis girls split,
set for counties
The HHS girls’ tennis team entered the week with a 3-2 record, but both losses have come by 3-2 scores, including last week’s tough one at North Hunterdon.
Hillsborough first singles player Emily Mannix missed the match because of an official college visit, leaving head coach Larry Johnson to juggle his lineup. Paige Aiello and Reciel Arribe moved up a notch to play first and second singles, respectively, while regular second doubles player Justine Turnbull took over at third singles.
Arribe was the only Raider singles player in a new spot to prevail. She won in straight sets, but her singles teammates dropped a pair of three-set matches.
The HHS first doubles team of Caitlin Katzelnick and Mae Ling Strang continued its solid play with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph. The revamped second doubles team with Alary Price and Allison Swedler lost in two tough sets.
Hillsborough blanked Bridgewater-Raritan in last week’s other match, not losing a set along the way. Mannix pitched a complete shutout at first singles, while Aiello dropped four games and Arribe lost only two. The first doubles team gave up three games but the Price-Turnbull tandem fought a little harder for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) victory.
The Raiders were set to play at Ridge and J.P Stevens this week before competing in the Somerset County Tournament Saturday and Sunday. Preliminary round matches will be held Saturday with quarterfinals and semifinals Sunday. All action takes place at The Pingry School in Martinsville.
Keohane wins for
undefeated harriers
Brian Keohane led the HHS boys’ cross country team to a 17-46 victory over Montgomery at Montgomery Park last week. Keohane won the dual meet in a time of 17:20, but five of his teammates followed within the next 13 seconds.
Rahul Doshi (17:23) and Mark Fineza (17:24) finished second and third, respectively. After a Cougar runner slipped in to take fourth place, the Raiders went 5-6-7 with Michael Rath (17:28), Jason Walton (17:33) and Jordan Magath (17:33).
The HHS girls lost to a very good Montgomery squad by an 18-45 score. Freshman Ashley Smolinka was the only Raider female to crack the top seven. Smolinka finished third in 19:09.
Hillsborough’s cross country teams were set to run a dual meet vs. Immaculata Wednesday.

