By Ken Weingartner, Sports Writer
The South Brunswick High boys’ volleyball team is knocking on the door of the state’s top 10.
If the Vikings’ performances in recent matches are an indication, those above should be wary of letting them in.
Sure, South Brunswick has yet to beat a top 10 foe this season. But after another close match, this time a 28-26, 25-23 setback to No. 9 Old Bridge, there’s little doubt the No. 11 Vikings are dangerous.
All of South Brunswick’s losses have come against top 10 teams. The Vikings (8-5) recently pushed both No. 1 St. Joseph and No. 3 East Brunswick to three-game matches before succumbing.
”We’ve been really close,” said senior Brian Roth, who had nine kills and two digs against Old Bridge. “We’ve been within a few points of taking games, but couldn’t capitalize when we had to. When we get the chance for easy points, we have to make the plays to capitalize on them. We can’t let them go to the other team because of mistakes.”
Ricky Duran led the Vikings with 12 kills against Old Bridge while Kyle Mariano had six. Kazuki Yamada had 29 assists and Joe Yang led with 10 digs.
”We’re really positive about the way we’re playing,” Roth said. “We’d probably feel better if we’d have taken one of those matches, but we feel good.”
Last year, South Brunswick went 17-8 and reached the South quarterfinals in the state tournament. Roth, who was among only three varsity veterans returning from that squad, felt pressure early in the season to prove 2007 wasn’t a fluke.
”The first four games, I was playing nervous,” Roth said. “Volleyball is a game that you can’t play nervous; I had to get that out of my system. There was pressure to succeed, but you have to put those things out of your head and just play the game and not worry about that stuff. If you take care of the games, the rest will take care of itself.”
For all the talk of nervousness, Roth, who was second on the team in kills last season, actually enjoys being looked to as a leader.
”Coach (Stephen Dentler) looks to me a lot to make a really good play and I want to deliver,” Roth said. “I try to hit some aces to get us some momentum back or make a big kill to get some momentum. Volleyball really is about momentum. If he trusts me to make a game-changing play, then I feel I have to deliver it. I love it. It gets my adrenaline pumping.”
As was the case last season, Roth and Duran have proved to be the squad’s big hitters. But the Vikings possess a deep and talented lineup, with newcomers like Mariano, Cole Biri and Kieran Fitzpatrick adding versatility to the attack.
What makes Roth most happy, though, is the way the team has come together.
”We’re more than a team, we’re really good friends,” Roth said. “We’ve had that in the past, but it hasn’t been on this level. I’m glad to see we’ve grown as people and not just as teammates.”