By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
Faith Adams has gone from being in a supportive role to a leading role for the Hillsborough High School girls’ volleyball team.
“I feel that I’m definitely more confident because I’m older,” said the Raiders junior. “Coming in as a freshman, you’re going to be timid. Everyone is older. You feel they should have privileges over you. I’m really confident now. I know everyone on our team now and I’m more comfortable. I can access that confidence in me.”
The Raiders have shown their confidence in Adams this season by keeping her on the court as much as possible. Adams has gone from being solely a middle blocker to being an outside hitter, as well as a blocker, when needed.
“Usually I was middle blocker and only stayed in front row,” Adams said of last year. “Now that I’ve advanced my skills, I play outside. I’m essentially in the whole game.”
Adams had a strong all-around game with a team-high five kills to go with one block, one dig and four service points in a 2-0 win over Voorhees on Saturday in the final regular-season match. It set the Raiders up for the state tournament.
“I think we played really well,” Adams said. “Now that it’s the end of the season, we’ve been able to really connect as a team and it’d been really beneficial for us.”
Lianna Bruno had 10 assists and five service points, including three aces, Morganne Bennett had eight service points with two of them being aces and three digs, Jordan Williams had six digs and three kills, Marisa Mazuera had three kills, Danielle Fanizzi and Isabelle Gonzalez had two digs apiece and Alex Chedid had two service points as Hillsborough improved to 13-10.
“I think we definitely have been playing to the best of our ability,” Adams said. “We obviously like winning, but sometimes it’s nice to say I gave my all, I tried my hardest and I know my teammates did too. We’re in one of the hardest divisions so, if you think about it, having a loss isn’t that bad. We’re playing the top teams in New Jersey.”
The Raiders lost to Ridge in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, 2-0, in what was the rubber match between the two.
“I think it was a pretty good game,” Adams said. “The last game was close. It was 26-24. Our libero got a nice up. We definitely did compete. They lost people. We lost people. We were about even. We had beaten them in the regular season. They beat us. It was fair game. It was still a really nice game.”
The Raiders are hoping to extend their season with a state tournament run. They were given the No. 18 seed and were scheduled to play at No. 15 seed Cherry Hill East on Wednesday in the first round of the state tournament. With a win, they could advance to take on second-seeded Hunterdon Central, an opponent that they’ve seen plenty of in their talented Skyland Conference.
“We’re where we want to be right now,” said Hillsborough head coach Cheryl Iaione. “You play these teams day in and day out, you’re going to take losses. It prepares you for this time of the year. We have to go in and get this win on the road and if we win that, we play Hunterdon Central. They’re probably a better team, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win. Any given day, we can pull an upset. They have to believe that.”
Playing in the Skyland Conference and Somerset County has given the Raiders a chance to grow throughout the year against tough competition. Hillsborough largely had a new starting lineup, but it has come together and players found their roles quickly.
“I think at first it was definitely different,” said Adams, one of the returning starters. “It’s always going to be hard to lose seniors. It was difficult to lose the seniors last year. It will be difficult to lose this year’s seniors. Most of the girls in the starting lineup were on varsity. Even though I knew them, I didn’t get a chance to play with them a lot before this year. That didn’t stop us from staying close and connecting.”
Adams was happy to help the Raiders wherever she could on the court, and with her skills improving, she had the versatility to be moved.
“I think my passing definitely improved a lot because I have been a middle my whole life,” Adams said. “Passing was different for me. I welcome a challenge. In college, I might want to be an outside. In college, middles are 6-3. I’m 5-11, perfect for an outside. I think I showed I’m a worthy candidate for playing outside.”
The Raiders have used her at outside plenty, but she has also helped them at her old spot, middle.
“She’s fine,” Iaione said. “It depends, sometimes she plays outside, sometimes she plays middle. It’s not etched in stone. I don’t know what I’ll do (Wednesday). She’s fine when she goes outside. It takes a lot of practice and it’s a lot of moving around. She’s done her job.”
Adams is looking for the chance to play more outside in club and with high school. She still has another year with the Raiders.
“After this season, I’m still deciding which club team I want to play at, and where I want to go with my career in volleyball,” Adams said. “I think I want to definitely play a high level of college. After college, I want to pursue other interests. This year, I’m still improving and it’s one of the most crucial years. Colleges are allowed to talk to me. I’m going through the process.”
Adams has been playing club volleyball for four years and playing year-round has helped her improve as she continues to work toward playing in college. Her experience has been a valuable asset to this year’s Raiders.
“She’s shown leadership on the court,” Iaione said. “No matter what position she’s asked to play, she goes about her business. She’s not a selfish person. She does what she’s asked. “If we need size, her and Marisa are a nice combo in the middle. If we feel like we can dominate more in the middle, we move her to outside and use Marissa and Nicole Alexander in the middle.”
Whatever the combination, the Raiders feel better about their chances with Faith Adams on the court than subbing out. She has helped Hillsborough compete in a tough conference that has them ready for states.
“I feel fine,” Iaione said. “Any time we don’t have to play anyone in the conference, we feel pretty good about it. We’ve pretty much had our way with teams outside of our conference except Westfield, which was a game we should have won. If we play our game, we’ll be fine.”
