By Matthew Rocco
The St. John Vianney High School girls’ volleyball team set a high bar to match after a successful 2015 season. Armed with a big and talented senior class, the Lancers are proving they are ready to make the leap.
The Lancers went an impressive 34-3 last season and added to their trophy case by defending their Shore Conference Tournament championship, recovering from a first-set loss to topple Wall High School for the title. The Lancers also advanced all the way to the championship game in the NJSIAA Non-Public tournament, where they were knocked out by Immaculate Heart Academy. Several key players from the 2015 campaign have returned to the court this season, and they have led St. John Vianney on a dominant month-long run.
The Lancers are 15-2 overall, maintaining their place among the best teams in New Jersey. The last four matches resulted in 2-0 wins, and the team’s only losses came at the hands of Fair Lawn High School and North Hunterdon High School.
“The team had a lot to live up to,” co-head coach Jessica Gadaleta said.
They have met those high expectations so far and continue to improve on the court.
“There are always things you can do better, but a hallmark of our team this year is we are focused on defense. It’s really about getting the front court and back court working together,” Gadaleta said.
Senior captains Dani Jankauskas, Jillian Fortier, Alyssa Reardon and Lauren Sabol have been instrumental in the team’s success. Fellow seniors Kimi Evans and Courtney Dobryznski, both of whom are standouts on the basketball team as well, bring a ton of talent as middle blockers.
Jankauskas hasn’t missed a beat after leading the team in kills and digs a year ago. The senior’s 69 digs lead the Lancers, and her 157 kills are tops on the team and tied for second-best in the state. Jankauskas also has 45 aces — one more than junior Alexa Steensen. Both players rank in the top six across New Jersey.
Reardon, the team’s assists leader with 309, holds third place in that category in New Jersey. The starting setter posted 749 assists in 2015 and surpassed 1,500 career assists last week.
Gadaleta noted the athleticism of Evans and Dobryznski in the middle. Evans, who committed to play basketball for Seton Hall University, trails only Jankauskas in kills with 74. The Hartford University-bound Dobryznski has 28 kills to go with nine blocks, which is the third-best mark on the team.
With last year’s tournament success and the early dominance of 2016, St. John Vianney wants to avoid becoming complacent with the Shore Conference Tournament approaching later this month.
“Just because you’re St. John’s, teams aren’t going to roll over for you,” Gadaleta said she tells her players. “We also have a target on our backs. We remind the girls all the time that opponents are going to bring their best game.”
St. John Vianney has its sights set on another postseason run, hoping to take the extra step and claim the state title it barely missed in 2015.
“We have a really good group of seniors. This year, they got together and they said this is where we were last year, and this is where we want to be this year,” Gadaleta said. “We play in a summer league, we have scrimmages in September, but we always say the focus is in October. That’s what matters. We say we have to play better defense and be better hitters, but we have to see it in October.”
St. John Vianney was scheduled to return to the court Oct. 4 to face Trinity Hall. The Lancers will travel to play Holmdel High School Oct. 10 and St. Rose High School Oct. 12.