JPS Girls Volleyball Wins GMCs For The First Time In A Decade

EDISON, NJ — The J.P. Stevens girls volleyball team won the Greater Middlesex County Tournament title for the first time in ten years with a 2-0 win over South Brunswick Wednesday night. It's only the second time ever the Hawks won the title.

J.P.S., the number two seed, beat out number four seed South Brunswick 25-19, 25-23. It was a well played game, with the two teams going point-for-point in the second match.

The victory was particularly sweet for the Hawks this year; the Varsity squad has 11 seniors, and this was their last chance to win it. Their last appearance in the final in 2013 ended in defeat.

"It was amazing because all of our hard work paid off. We’re all so close on and off the court that it just made the win even better because my best friends were with me to celebrate," senior Emily Tavares told Patch.

It wasn't just skill that got the girls this far, senior Elizabeth Kausch said. The superstitious team made sure to take part in their pre-game rituals, which include singing a silly song and having the assistant coach misplace his bag.

"They may seem silly but they really do help us getting everyone from the court to the bench involved in the game. I think that the energy coming off of our bench definitely makes a difference in how our starters play on the court. Not only do we have great athletes competing on the court but we have a great team unity where everyone has the same intensity and passion for the game," Kausch told Patch. By her estimate, J.P. has "the loudest bench in the county."

The team has a friendly match against Woodbridge at home Saturday morning, and then they head to the state tournament next, where they'll take on Rancocas Valley at home, Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Image submitted by Simrin Carlsen, used with permission