The girl’s volleyball team travels to Rumson-Fair Haven for a Group 2 first round contest this afternoon at 4:30pm. Here is our first round playoff preview.
#20 Cinnaminson: 19-11
#13 Rumson-Fair Haven: 13-9
Cinnaminson enters this first round match fresh off two straight victories to end the regular season. Both wins were 2-0 decisions that came against Winslow and Burlington City.
In what was a highly contested match, the Pirates dropped their Senior Night game to Camden Catholic 2-1. That match had a playoff feel to it and the Pirates are hoping the experience gained from it will only help when the tournament begins today.
The Pirates won six of their final seven matches of the regular season, including an impressive 2-1 win over Sterling. The Pirates lost the first set 25-14, but rebounded to win the second and third sets to take the match from the Silver Knights.
Ally Herron led the Pirates in aces with 33, Gia Trzaska led the team in service points with 33 and Christina Strough led the team in kills with 56.
Cinnaminson was the 13-seed in the Group 1 Tournament last year, beating #20 Roselle 2-0 on the road in the first round. The Pirates were eliminated from the tournament in the second round with a 2-0 loss to #4 Becton.
This is the second straight appearance for girl’s volleyball in the playoffs.
Rumson-Fair Haven comes into this first round game having lost the final three matches of the regular season, all by 2-0 scores to Toms River North, St. John Vianney and Wall, respectively. Their last victory came on October 19 against Keyport, 2-0, whom they beat twice this year.
Olivia DeBonte led the team with 40 aces and 117 kills this season, while Erika Etkine led the team with 36 service points in 2015.
Rumson-Fair Haven lost to Cranford, 2-0, in the first round of the Group 2 Tournament last year as the 21-seed. This is the sixth consecutive appearance in the state tournament for Rumson-Fair Haven, which last missed the playoffs in 2009.
