The championship banner that the members of the Marlboro High School boys volleyball team have been envisioning throughout the spring of 2010 has become a reality.
The Mustangs captured the Shore Conference A North Division volleyball championship on May 4 when they defeated Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft for the second time this year, 2-0.
Marlboro’s 25-16, 26-24 triumph over the Colts clinched the outright, overall division title.
“You don’t know how this feels,” Marlboro coach Margie McNamara said. “This turns into a legacy that never goes away. You don’t know how hard these kids worked. It’s so very special to have a banner.”
The Mustangs delivered an early message in the rematch against a CBA team that had the chance to move into a first-place tie with Marlboro with a victory. The Mustangs scored the first two points of the first game on blocks.
“We got into their heads,” McNamara said.
Middle blocker Sean Hickey came up with a big game with seven blocks and three digs.
The Shassol twins, Ben and Matt, had their usually strong all-around games. Ben had 10 kills and two blocks, and Matt had nine blocks and two aces.
Corey Dubin, the Shore Conference leader in assists, distributed 19 assists in the victory over the Colts.
McNamara also pointed to Lucas Vidolin and Alex Palumbo for their fine play in the win. Vidolin came up with one dig after another, and Palumbo stood out on defense.
It has been defense, according to the coach, that made the difference during Marlboro’s championship run.
“We are peaking at the right time on defense,” McNamara said. “We’ve started to click. I told them that you can’t win if you can’t block their hitters.”
The Mustangs took that advice to heart and as the Colts will attest, took ownership of the net.
Two days after beating CBA and winning the volleyball program’s first championship, the Mustangs beat Colts Neck High School, 2-0, to finish A North play undefeated (14-0).
“To beat everyone is amazing,” McNamara said.
The Mustangs’ win over Colts Neck was very important, McNamara noted, because it followed an emotional victory over CBA. It would have been easy for her players to be flat, but in keeping with the drive and determination they
displayed throughout the 2010 season, the players were ready to turn back a rival that was out to spoil their bid for a perfect A North season.
Dubin added 20 assists to his conference leading total in the win over Colts Neck. Matt Shassol (10), Vidolin (4), Ben Shassol (4) and Hickey (3) combined for 21 kills against the Cougars.
The Mustangs are 17-3 overall and ranked No. 9 in New Jersey, a ranking that was foreign to them until this special season. As a result of that lofty ranking, the Mustangs fulfilled one of their season goals when they were invited to play in the Super Six Tournament hosted by St. Joseph High School, Metuchen. Only the state’s best teams are invited to participate in that event.
“To be that respected is very exciting,” said McNamara.
The Shore Conference Tournament will begin this week and Marlboro will be the No. 2 seed behind the conference’s perennial power, Southern Regional High School of Manahawkin. McNamara is not worried about her team suffering any championship hangover.
“These guys have been so focused on what they want to do,” she explained. “We’re still not done.”
Another championship banner would look just fine next to the Shore Conference A North Division pennant that has already been secured.