E.B. volleyballers peaking just in time for states
Girls rebound from slow start to take eight of
next nine matches
By Warren Rappleyea
Staff Writer

MARIE ORTIZ East Brunswick’s Shaina Byrnes looks to tap the ball over a pair of South Brunswick players during a match last Monday afternoon.

The East Brunswick High School girls volleyball team has lost just two matches, but coach Greg Rutz is already looking forward to rematches with both Hunterdon Central and West Windsor South.

The Bears opened the season at home against Rutz’s former team, Hunterdon Central, falling in three games.

East Brunswick rebounded from there to take eight of its next nine matches, scoring wins over Bridgewater-Raritan, Westfield, Southern Regional, West Windsor North, Long Branch, South Brunswick in two games and Old Bridge and Bloomfield in three games.

In the Bloomfield match, the Bears dropped the opener 15-7, before recovering to win 15-9 and 15-7.

According to Rutz, the Bears rebounded nicely after a slow start to the season, and are in good position to enter the states as one of the top teams in the area.

"Hunterdon Central was our first match of the season and we’d like to have that one back," the Bears new coach said. "Against West Windsor South we just didn’t play a very good game and they did. We got a little rattled and we just couldn’t get going. We’re looking forward to seeing them both again."

East Brunswick has looked pretty strong otherwise.

Centers Britt Eihardt and Nadya Aldochine have been making accurate passes throughout the season.

Co-captain Debbie Kuo has been averaging six kills as an outside hitter and Shaina Byrnes is averaging three.

The Bears have also worked the back-door-slide to near perfection with Moira Kirby hitting winners at the rate of eight per match.

Other members of the East Brunswick lineup include co-captain Tara Swansen, Becky Haupt, Kate Koster, and Jen Liu. Juniors Dallas Byrnes, Lauren Carrado and Amanda Cofone have performed well off the bench, as Rutz rotates his players.

"Everyone has been contributing and that should help us in the second half of the season," Rutz said. "Our goal right now is to keep improving and to peak in time for the [NJSIAA Central Jersey] Group IV tournament."

The Bears are in the midst of a busy week. Bishop Ahr of Edison was scheduled to visit yesterday and East Brunswick will travel to Central Regional tomorrow.

On Friday, Bridgewater-Raritan comes to town, and the Bears will be at Southern Regional Saturday afternoon.