Hillsborough’s government body on May 26 saluted the undefeated JV boys’ volleyball team, which a perfect 14-0 win-loss record to be the first Hillsborough volleyball team ever to go undefeated.
The Township Committee’s proclamation commended the team members “not only for the perfect season that they achieved, but also for their unwavering teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season.”
The team had five returnees and added nine new players. Coming off a 15-2 season last year, the bar was set high, especially playing against one of the most difficult schedules in the state. Most of the games were against top 20 teams in the state.
“What is remarkable about this team’s accomplishment is they did it without a freshmen team or feeder program,” said Coach Robert Longo. “Most of the group coming in had no prior volleyball experience and had never played before preseason started. They competed against teams with long histories and established programs and yet still remained perfect all season long.”
The boys swept through conference play at 8-0, beating top teams in the state in matches against Bridgewater and Hunterdon Central. It also won big out-of-conference matches against state powerhouses East Brunswick and St Joseph’s.
The players bought into the team concept and the system of Coach Todd Sudol at the varsity level.
“Coach Sudol and I stress the fundamentals and basics early in preseason and as the season went on we progressed to more game strategy and concepts,” said Mr. Longo. “Coach Sudol’s teams have enjoyed a great deal of success and our JV wanted to live up to the tradition from the players before them.”
“One of the key factors in our successful season was the work that the five returning players did in the off-season. Many of the returning players made a strong commitment in the off-season to play club and as a result the came into preseason in midseason form,” Coach Longo said.
Mr. Longo said he was “proud of the work they did in preparation for the season and proud of the effort they put forth all year long.”
He said team leaders Connor Sweeney, Jake Powell and Cole Norfleet “set an excellent example for the other players in the program and I am very excited for their futures as they advance to the next level.”
Key returning players were Sweeney, Powell, Norfleet, Vinay Mantha and Eric Ross, he said. Key newcomers were Vivek, Mantha and Robert (RJ) Boehmer.
Rounding out the roster were Matthew Hendrix, Jake Powell, Peter Clarke, Kevin Cole, Logan Conway, John Edwards, Michael Jeney, TD Le, Vivek Mantha and Marcus Urrutia.
