After reaching the finals of the Somerset County Tournament, the Group Four Sectional final, and finishing with a school record of 25 wins last year, the girls varsity volleyball team had high expectations for their season this year.

Though they did not go as far as they did last year, the team finished with a winning record of 14-11. 

“The best game we played was against Watchung,” senior Morganne Bennett said. “It was an amazing game full of exciting plays and a lot of energy. Although we lost in three sets, we played our best and it really showed.”

Leading this year’s lineup were Bennett along with fellow seniors Nicole Alexander, Alex Chedid, Amanda Comeau, and Danielle Fanizzi and juniors Faith Adams, Jordan Williams, Isabelle Gonzalez, and Marisa Mazuera.

“Each of them brought something different based on their positions, but the experience they gained last season was important to the team’s success,” head coach Cheryl Iaione said.

The returning players were joined by promising newcomers Erika Arendas, Lianna Bruno, Natalie Minter, Megan Moore, and Sydney Townsend.

Together, the girls possessed an unmatchable chemistry, despite the loss of key players Kari and Lisa Coetzer, Sydney Gonzalez, and Savannah Zhang.

“We are all so close and really understand each other on and off the court,” Bennett said. “Our chemistry really helped us work together.”

The team aimed to play with energy, work hard, and compete at the highest level every time they took the court, no matter how the previous game went.

“The season started off with a loss, but we came back the next few games with consecutive wins,” Chedid said.

After suffering two more losses, the Raiders played an especially great game against Ridge.

“They were a big opponent last year, but this year we beat them in two sets and had amazing plays off the ceiling,” Bennett said.

Watchung and Ridge, along with Hunterdon Central, North Hunterdon, and Bridgewater, provided the team with its top competition.

“Our strategy against those teams was the same as any other game,” Chedid said. “To play as hard as we could.”

The players applied this strategy to the rest of the season. Although they did not go as far as they had wanted to, the team had fun during every game because of their close friendship.