By Guy Kipp, Sports Writer
The Monroe Township High School girls’ volleyball team has exhibited an ability to open matches on a high note, but the winless Falcons have not been able to finish those matches sufficiently yet.
Tuesday’s 25-12, 25-11 defeat to Red Bank represented Monroe’s second loss to the Monmouth County team in the last two weeks, and, while the scores don’t suggest that matters were ever in doubt, coach Susan Winfree felt the team played more consistently than it had in the previous week’s defeat to Red Bank.
”While the game scores were lower than in our last meeting with Red Bank,” Winfree said, “our level of play was better. However, their powerful and strategically placed serves were difficult to beat.”
Prior to the second loss to Red Bank, a formidable team which is now 8-1, Monroe threw a scare into both North Brunswick and Woodbridge.
Last Thursday’s match against North Brunswick opened with a 25-23 Monroe victory in the first game before the visiting Raiders regrouped to take the next two games, and the match, 25-14 and 25-15.
”Our team played their best volleyball to date against North Brunswick,” Winfree said. “We rose to the level of play that North Brunswick demanded. We took the first game by serving consistently and making the digs.”
Junior outside hitter Brooke Klag and senior setter Rachel Friedrich each came through with two digs against North Brunswick. Klag also had five kills and two assists to go with an ace and a block in that match. Friedrich had three kills and one assist.
Another standout against North Brunswick was sophomore Elaina Hansen, with four aces, two kills, one dig and one assist.
Four days after opening with a bang against North Brunswick, the Falcons got out of the gate briskly against Woodbridge, only this time they were able to sustain a higher level of play throughout the match. Monroe took the first game, 25-23, then fell, 21-25 and 22-25 in the next two.
”We let a close one slip away,” Winfree said. “But the girls exhibited their best play as a team. Working together, the girls had a team record of 65 attack attempts with 18 kills. We also had a match record of 12 aces.”
One consolation coming out of the meeting with Woodbridge was Monroe’s first victory of the season on the junior varsity level.
”Both JV and varsity levels of play continue to improve,” Winfree said. “Each match, they are showing better individual skills and team play.”
Following Wednesday’s match against John F. Kennedy of Iselin, Monroe hosted West Windsor-Plainsboro North Thursday.
