BTHS girls volleyball team trounces BMHS in opener

Although Brick Township High School's volleyball team led throughout its 25-16, 25-14 season opening victory over visiting Brick Memorial High School on Sept. 11, coach Christina Conti believes that much more work needs to be done.

"They had a solid match, and the passing was pretty accurate, although we did not run a phenomenal offense," Conti said with a shrug. "The thing is, we were consistent."

That became more important as Conti moved some players around to other positions late in the preseason, particularly in putting Cortney Jones back to setter. She had 12 assists for points and four saves. Courtney Mazza, a junior, was moved to outside hitter on the right side to better suit her as a left-handed player opposite senior Carissa Pagnotta.

For the match, seniors Mikki Binetti had six kills and Tina Scuttaro had six digs.

"It could be better, but we were good enough," senior captain Emma Erbig said. "We have to step it up when we play better competition."

"I was definitely encouraged," Conti said. "But we have a lot of work to do, a lot to work on."

The victory was a welcoming return for Conti, who coached the team on club level for two seasons before taking off last year for maternity leave. The Green Dragons went 6-10 under interim coach Paul Roebuck in their first varsity season last fall.

But the teamwork of the seven players who have been together since the program began is evident.

"We pick each other up and give 100 percent," said Binetti, who also caught for the school's softball team as she and Erbig, at shortstop, led that team to one of its best-ever seasons last spring.

"There were matches we lost [in volleyball] last season to Southern and Toms River South that we played hard, and they went three games but didn't go our way," Erbig said. "We want those matches to go our way this season. We have to shake things off when something goes wrong. We have to practice hard and play hard and bring that mental toughness into the game."

Brick Memorial, despite losing six players from a 1-13 season, showed its own mental toughness from many new starters when it answered back in the second game as it cut Brick Township's 20- 10 lead to 22-13. The Green Dragons used some good serving at the start of that game for an early 5-0 lead.

Binetti, who Conti says is an NCAA Division II prospect, said she felt that she "did not have a good game," but she hammered a spike to put the Green Dragons back in command. They finished it with two service points off Brick Memorial's wide return of one and netted the other.

"Serve receive, that's what I tell my girls all the time, and that will be my quote all season," said Brick Township's Conti. "I tell my players you can never be good enough if you're not good enough to pass the ball."

Junior Lauren Rushalski's serving will be key for Brick Memorial again this year. She had seven service points in the opening match. Sophomore Sarah Beyers had four digs as another returning starter for the Mustangs.

"For our first game, it wasn't so bad. We hustled," said Brick Memorial coach Melissa O'Leary, who added that she also will look to freshman Brittany Clayton, who had five service points and two digs. "We need to improve our blocking and serving."

Junior Samantha Ruzzeno, another returning starter, and seniors Breanna Mancuso, a captain, and Ashley Nungesser complete the lineup.

Conti is high on a freshman prospect in 6-foot-tall middle hitter Caitlin Mc- Pede.

"She does not know a lot about volleyball, but at 6 feet, I'll teach her," Conti said.B

ut Conti said there is less teaching needed overall than there used to be.

"What they can do well, they now know," she said. "When they make mistakes, they know what they did wrong. You don't have to stress the basics. They run the plays, place the ball on certain spots. We just need to work on communication more."

Conti and her players admit they were a little surprised about winning six games in the first varsity season. The coach thinks their taste of winning "makes them hungry" for qualifying for the postseason tournaments.

"The first thing is starting to get people to buy into the sport. It's done a lot for me," said Conti, who played at Binghamton University and coached girls and boys volleyball at Sherwood High School in Maryland before coming to Brick Township High School. "It's my love for the game. You sell that. That's what's been happening here for the past four years."