VARSITY SWEEPS TRI-MATCH OPPONENTS CRANFORD AND ROSELLE PARK

 The Lady Hilltoppers took on the Cranford Cougars in the morning matchup -the first of the day- as the team was looking to upend the current Mountain Division leader and undefeated squad.  

The home side got out to a good start with an ace by Welsh and a tip kill by N Feuerstake to get out to a 3-1 lead early on.  With the score 8-8,  Cranford benefitted by 3 consecutive SHS errors to take an 11-8 lead before the visitors failed on a serve to get the ball back to Summit.  A block by  N Feuerstake and a kill by Herring  had the Hilltoppers within one at 11-12 but yet again the Cougars responded with 2 points that forced a Martins TO but the visitors got 2 more points after the TO to go up 16-11.  A Cranford service error opened the door for SHS again and N Feuerstake got another kill to get Summit to within 2 at 14-16.  Two rotations later the Cougars were still hanging on to a 19-15 lead when A Feuerstake, Welsh, and L Ge twice nailed two spikes to force a Cranford TO as the scoreboard showed 20-10 SHS!  The timeout was fruitful for the visitors as they hit for an ace and got a kill to jump out to a 21-20 lead.  A Cougar service error and a Basaman ace had SHS up 22-21.  A SHS hitting error knotted up the score at 22 but the squad leaned on Senior Herring to bail the squad out and she did not disappoint with a tip kill by Herring which got SHS to a 23-22 lead.  A tip error by the Summit Hilltoppers followed up by a Cranford kill had the visitors on the verge of a set one victory but the Hilltoppers fought that off.  But then at 24 all the SHS side missed a key serve and Cranford had a 2nd set point at 25-24.  A tough serve by the Cougars forced an overpass that was attacked by Cranford but Welsh dug that up and then on the next attack by the Cougars led to a monster Henry dig which led to a kill by A Feuerstake which tied the score at 25.  A perfect serve by Henry led to an overpass that Deyonge slammed down for SHS's first set point which forced the Cranford squad into a TO.  The Captain Henry then finished up the set with an ace serve which gave the Hilltoppers a 27-25 set one victory.

Set 2 saw the Hilltoppers jump out to a 4-1 lead thanks to a Heary downball kill,  a kill by N Feuerstake and Ge and an ace by Welsh.  An ace by Handal a few rotations later had the Top up again 8-4 but then Cranford ripped off 6 consecutive points forcing a Martins TO at   10-8 Cranford.  The team came off the TO with a perfect pass that led to a Deyonge kill and one point later,  the scoreboard read 10-10. The squads could not find much room to breathe as they fought for every point and it was no surprise to see a 15-15 scoreline as Henry went up to serve.  N Feuerstake added a kill and big sis A Feuerstake added a tip kill and SHS went up 17-15.  Ge dug up a ball and followed it up with a kill to expand the lead to 3 forcing a Cougar TO but the Hilltoppers continued on with a 7-1 run (N Feuerstake kill, Deyonge kill, Welsh kill, N Feuerstake  2 aces) to get to the brink of the victory at 24-16.  Despite a break of serve,  the Hilltoppers got the set wrapped up with an A Feuerstake kill for the 25-18.  

The Hilltoppers outscored the Cougars 41-29 (32 Ks, 2 Block, 7 Aces) for the match 

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Welsh and N Feuerstake 2

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Henry and Welsh 2.00

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - A Feuerstake  88.9

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - Ge 2.14

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 6

KILLS - N and A Feuerstake 7

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts) - N Feuerstake .500

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - N Feuerstake and Deyonge 50.0

DIGS - Henry 17

BLOCKS - Herring 2

ASSISTS - Welsh 27

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

N Feuerstake 10

In the last match of the tri-match,  Roselle Park was looking to get a win after dropping a tough 2-0 decision to Cranford while SHS was looking for their 6th win on the season and sixth in a row.  

An ace by Welsh kicked things off and N Feuerstake added a kill and SHS led 3-0.  At 3-2,  Summit got its first long run of 6 points with Ge ripping off 2 aces, Herring adding a kill and N Feuerstake smashed a kill and a block to bring the scoreboard to 9-2. At 13-5 SHS ran off another 6 point run that all but sealed the set at 19-5 with Heary clicking on an ace, Nowicka with a kill and Ge 2 aces. 

Set 2 was a much tighter affair with both squads knotted up at 9 after a Deyonge kill and an A Feuerstake as we ended rotation 6.  A Welsh kill sparked a 3-0 run with Basaman nailing 2 aces but the Roselle Park squad got 2 points back quickly in response to keep the set tight at 12-12.  Summit recovered and responded in a big way with a 6-0 run (Welsh ace, Herring kill, N Feuerstake kill) that forced a RP TO but off the pause in the game,  SHS ran off another 3-1 run (Herring kill, Ge ace, A Feuerstake kill) to push the lead to 21-13 and essentially seal the set and match victory soon thereafter.  RP got as close as 21-16 but SHS closed it out with a 4-1 run (Deyonge 2 kills,  A Feuerstake 1 kill) to earn a 2-0 tri-match record and a 6W-1L overall record.  

Summit outscored the Panthers 39-15 (28K-1 Block- 10 Aces) for the match and in the tri-match,  SHS outscored both teams by a 60-27 kill margin,  were outscored 3-7 on the block and held a 17-10 ace advantage for an 80-44 final tally.  

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Ge 4

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Basaman 3.0

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Basaman and Henry 100.0

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - Henry 2.20

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 5

KILLS - N Feuerstake 6

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts) - Herring .571

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - Herring 57.1

DIGS - Henry 6

BLOCKS - Herring and N Feuerstake 1

ASSISTS - Welsh 26

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Ge 9 

9th GRADERS GO TO 3W-0L AFTER 3 SET COMEBACK VERSUS UNION

 The 9th Graders took on the Farmers of Union looking for their 3rd win of the season and the match could not have started any better!

Conroy led off the festivities with an 8 point service run that put the Hilltoppers up 8-2 just in the first rotation!  Union managed to break serve but SHS got control of the next point and got C Jesionowski up to serve.  The OH rattled off 12 consecutive service points which got the home side to an insurmountable 21-4 lead.  Two more rotations and the set was over with Summit winning in a decisive 25-8 scoreline.

Set 2 was a very different affair.  Although set 1 was over by the end of set 1 but most definitely after rotation 2,  set 2 was all knotted up at 10 after the first 6 rotations.  But in rotation 7,  Union pulled off a huge run of 8 points to take an overwhelming 19-11 lead.  SHS did not quit though and had the lead down to 22-17 by rotation 10 but the Top ran out of points and saw the Union squad finish off the set 25-18 by rotation 12.

It all came down to set 3.  And yet again it was C Jesionowski who started the ball rolling with a 5-0 run to get SHS out of a 3-0 hole.  Union tied the score up next rotation and the teams pretty much stayed even through the next few rotations.  By rotation 6,  with SHS up 10-8,  Santillian stepped up with a 2 service point run that had the Hilltoppers up 13-10 and with a little breathing room.   Union didn't fold though and with the home side up 15-10,  Union's server in rotation 1 ran off 6 consecutive points to completely flip the script on the match and lead 17-15 by the time it was over. Union was pumped up! With the pressure on,  C Jesionowski again served a must serve in and SHS got the point in transition before there was a service break and Summit had crawled back to trail by only one at 18-17 lead.  Union extended the lead to 20-18 but SHS responded after a Kim service point but the Hilltoppers were able to do no more and Union served up 21-20.  Union must have felt their opportunity was there to win with one of their best servers up and the young woman did not disappoint with a 5-0 run that all but gave Union an insurmountable lead at 24-21 by the time it was over.  With their backs against the wall,  the young Lady Hilltoppers needed a flawless service run to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  Enter R Jesionowski to the service line.  Three straight topspin serves into the short court had yielded 2 aces and 1 attack error to tie the score at 24 and force a Farmer TO.  Off the TO the 9th grader continued her unlikely run with another ace and then finished it off with another ace to zone 3 to seal the unlikely and exciting come from behind victory 26-24 !!! 

FROSH ARE NOW 3-0!!!! 

9th GRADERS GO 2-0 ON SEASON; JV GETS 4TH WIN IN A 3 SET THRILLER; VARSITY COMES BACK SET 2 TO GET 4TH WIN!

 9th GRADERS GOT 2-0

The 9th grade Lady Hilltoppers faced off against the Raiders of Scotch-Plains Fanwood and came away with the 2-0 win.  Coach Seifert noted improvement in serving consistency and a better serve receive performance as keys in the 2-0 win over the Raiders.  

JV CONTINUES TO ROLL DESPITE SET 2 HICCUP

JV came in hot off a 2-0 win vs Rahway to put themselves 3W-0L on the season.  SPF has always been a tough opponent for the Top with some historically great battles and classic matches with both sides taking wins.  Yesterday was much of the same.  Despite an early hot start by the Hilltoppers,  SPF made a move late in set one and it looked like the squad had finally begun to compete in the latter stages of the opening stanza.  SHS won 25-17 but the Raiders had clearly begun to swing the momentum at the end of set 1.

Set 2 saw a much tighter affair with SPF holding small leads through the set.  The Raider serving attack which had shown signs of life at the end of set 1 began to click and the Hilltoppers found it hard to sustain any offensive pressure.  SHS kept the score close most of the set but key serving misses and a handful of serving errors sealed the fate of the home side with a 25-19 defeat in set 2.

The decisive set 3 turned on the serve reception of SPF's toughest server who was passed safely by Knight and then Setter Moghal got the ball to Meltzer who put it away with a lefty swing.  That turned an early 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead as the Top took that point to fuel a 4-0  run that created a cushion the Summit Squad would not give up.  Anti-climactically,  the Top closed out the set rather easily 15-7 for their 4th win in a row!

VARSITY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE IN A TOUGH 2 SET BATTLE

The matchup with SPF is always one to look forward to historically. Last season, missing star player Barlow,  SPF dominated the Hilltoppers 25-10, 25-8 but then dropped 2 of 3 to the Top in the Heal the Children tournament.  In 2022,  at Summit,  SHS took a tough 25-23, 25-23 win over the Raiders.  This year proved to be another classic competition.

SET 1

The match began a bit auspiciously for the home side as SPF jumped out to a 3-1 lead off off 2 service aces and a Summit service error.  But then the offense and passing began to show up quickly and         N Feuerstake and Ge got 2 kills to get the Top moving in the right direction,  tied at 4.  Henry passed up a perfect 3 pass and which was converted to a kill by N Feuerstake again and that sparked a 7-0 run which gave the Hilltoppers a ton of breathing room (Henry 2 aces, Ge kill, N Feuerstake 2 kills). At 12-6,  the Raiders bounced back with a 4-0 run of their own before an attack by A Feuerstake forced a return ball error with a well placed attack and the Senior OH then followed it up with 2 aces to reestablish the lead at 15-10.  One rotation later,  the Top began top pull away again as Ge continued to be productive notching a kill as well as fellow Senior MB Herring.  With the lead at 20-13,  it was just a matter of time before Summit would close out the set but SPF went on a 4-0 run down 21-15 to force a TO at 21-18 and still scoring again for a 21-19 deficit but an out of system pass led to a deftly placed shot by A Feuerstake which stemmed the momentum and gave the Top the opportunity to regain a 23-19 lead off Henry's service attack.  The set ended on a couple of free ball errors by SPF but the late surge by SPF seemed ominous. SPF out-scored SHS 15-13 off the power of late service aces but the Hilltoppers benefitted from 8 total free ball and hitting errors by the Raiders while Summit yielded only 1.

SET 2

Down 6-3 early in set 2,  the Hilltoppers went on a 6-0 run (Deyonge kill and block, Heary ace, Ge kill) to take control at 9-6. Summit continued to pressure the Raiders and by midpoint in the set,  the lead had expanded to 13-8 after a N Feuerstake kill.  But then a service error by the Top opened the door for the SPF crew and they took the opportunity to go on a 4-0 run and climb back to within one at 13-12.  A rotation later,  a SHS fault and 2 SPF kills had evened out the score at 15.  Time-out Summit.  SHS was able to get back on top after a Nowicka kill and a Henry ace but yet again the visitors fought back with another 3 point run forcing a final Summit TO with the scoreboard showing 19-17 SPF.  Although SPF got one more point after the TO (20-17), Summit got back within one after a Nowicka kill (20-19).  A Summit service error gave a 2 point cushion to the Raiders (21-19) but a dig by Henry not handled by SPF got the score back to 21-20.  Kill SPF off a Heary serve.  22-20. Ge with an out system kill and 22-21.  Basaman great serve but handled by the Raiders for a kill, 23-21 but SPF dished up a service error followed up by a hitting error to give Summit life, 23-23.  TO Raiders.

Welsh had not had a very productive service run this match.  2/6, 0 aces and 4 errors.  But that was the server for the Top late in set 2.  The Junior Setter came off the TO and got a good serve over which led to an errant attack by the Raiders and suddenly it was 24-23 and match point.  Could the Setter deliver when it mattered the most... of course she could, and she did, with an ace to give the Top their 4th win in a row!

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Henry 4

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Basaman 2.71

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Basaman, Ge, Heary 100

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - Ge 1.94

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 6

KILLS - A Feuerstake 6

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts) - Nowicka .286

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - N Feuerstake 50

DIGS - Ge 8

BLOCKS - Deyonge 1

ASSISTS - Welsh 16

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

N Feuerstake and Ge 6

VARSITY IMPROVES TO 3-1 / JV 3-0 WITH ROAD WINS AT RAHWAY

 The JV Squad used its serving attack to overcome a feisty Rahway side that jumped out to a 15-9 lead before the Top began to pressure the young Rahway side with their serving attack.  Armstrong was key in the run that propelled the Hilltoppers to a set one come from behind win 25-19  .  Second set was more of a controlled affair as the consistent serving and offense of the visitors gave SHS the lead it needed early as Miles and Kovaric paced the offense to a 25-17 win.

Varsity earned a hard fought but ugly victory over Rahway as the squad overcame a poor 2nd set to take the decisive set and win their 3rd game of the season.

SET 1

Ge started the Hilltoppers off with a kill and Welsh nailed an ace in rotation 1 to spot SHS a 4-0 lead at the onset of the match.  N Feuerstake added a kill around a Welsh setter dump a few rotations later and the lead was re-established at 9-5. Welsh found the court again on a setter attack and A Feuerstake nailed 2 aces forcing a Rahway TO as Summit kept control at 12-7.  But off the TO,  Rahway broke serve and went on an 8-0 run despite a SHS TO.  Despite a break of serve thanks to a Rahway error,  Summit could not get anything going and found themselves down 14-18 after yet another service error.   A couple of Rahway errors had the Top within 3 at 16-19 and then Henry went to work on a service run that yielded a handful of Rahway return errors and added an ace and a kill to the Libero's total stats,  bringing the Top to a 22-19 lead and the final Rahway TO.  The Captain came off the TO with an ace and SHS held a 23-20 lead after a service break.  Set one over soon after at 25-22 SHS.  Summit outscored Rahway 13-8 (6k-7ace) but set would have been quite different without the aces.  

SET 2

Things looked unusually similar to set one early on with SHS holding a 6-2 lead after 3 consecutive Rahway errors at the net.  The set seemed to be going quite well for the Top a rotation later with SHS holding 9-3 lead fueled by N Feuerstake notching2 kills and Deyonge getting a stuff block which forced a Rahway TO.  But that TO was the turning point yet again in a set on this day as the home side ripped a 6-0 run to tie the score and change the dynamic of the set.  Ge and Welsh seemed to have flipped the scrip with a kill and an ace to give SHS a 15-13 lead but Rahway pushed back hard and fought back to a 20-20 scoreline late in the set.  A service error though seemed to open the door for a quick SHS win(21-20)  but a very long rally ensued which seemed to hold he Rahway hope of a comeback and the home side delivered to tie it at 21.  Rahway rattled off the next 2 points to force a Martins TO and the team responded with A Feuerstake getting a kill but Rahway would not be denied and the Top dropped set 2 25-22.  Summit outscored their opposition again 14-9 but but that lead was erased by a 6 serving error performance by the Top to allow Rahway the easy points they would need to win the set.

SET 3

Early on,  Rahway was living off the energy and belief of that set 2 win and it showed as the team held a 10-5 lead over SHS.  But then A Feuerstake converted 2 sets to kills and the SHS side got life back,  trailing only at 11-8.  A Ge kill one rotation later and Summit was knocking at the door down only 11-10.  Rahway fought back to a 13-10 lead but Summit looked different and more aggressive and it showed on the next 2 points as Ge yet again put the Indians in a bind with a tough attack that led to an error and Basaman stepped up with an ace to force a Rahway TO as the lead was down to one at 13-12.  Down 13-15,  Summit finally put their foot down and got 2 kills from Ge as well as an ace by Welsh to flip the scoreline to 18-15 SHS and force the final Rahway TO.  The timeout did not help as Welsh came off the break with another ace and despite a service break, Herring slammed a kill out of the middle and Ge again hit the Indians with an ace to give SHS a 21-16 lead.  A block by N Feuerstake preceded an ace by Henry and the Summmit squad was closing in on the win with a 23-17 lead that soon became the 25-18 scoreline after another Ge kill that led to Handal dropping an ace on the Rahway side spoiling their home opener.  Summit out-scored Rahway 18-9 in the set and 45-26 in the match for the win.

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Welsh and Henry 5

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Henry 2.65

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Henry 94.1

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - Henry 1.84

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 11

KILLS - Ge 10

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts) - Ge .318

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - Ge 45.5

DIGS - Henry 11

BLOCKS - Deyonge, Herring, N Feuerstake, Welsh 1

ASSISTS - Welsh 24

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Ge 11 

LINDEN TIGERS AND SUMMIT HILLTOPPERS SQUARE OFF IN SEASON'S FIRST BEST OF 5

What was to be a tri match in Linden became a best of 5 matchup due to a scheduling issue and both Linden and Summit gave their fans a great show with the match going to 5 sets to decide the outcome! This was a great test for the Top on the road against one of the best teams in the Mountain Division and the squad that knocked the Hilltoppers from the county tourney last year.  

Set 1

The set began well for the Hilltoppers as they jumped out to a 6-3 lead but the teams were so evenly matched that in no time the squads were knotted up at 8.  Summit pulled away near the midpoint of the set 11-8 after an A Feuerstake kill but the Tigers flipped the script and led 16-13 a few rotations later.  SHS closed to within 2 after a ball handling error by the Linden Squad but again the home team responded and when the score showed a 19-14 deficit for the Top, Coach called a TO to work the gameplan.  Unfortunately,  off the time-out,  Linden went on a 6-3 run that closed out the set 25-17 in favor of the Tigers.

SHS managed only 3 kills, 1 ace and 2 blocks for a mere 6 points while Linden hit for 12 points (10k-2blk) which explained the final set score.

Set 2

Ge was cleared to play by the training staff and took the first set to get physically and mentally prepared for the match as the plan was to introduce her into the lineup 2nd set.  SHS jumped out to a 10-3 lead with Welsh and Henry hitting for 3 aces and the Feuerstake sisters combining for 2 kills with Ge adding another to get SHS that 7 point lead and forcing a Linden TO.  Off the time-out the Hilltoppers went on a 6-1 run with A Feuerstake nailing an ace and Welsh and Ge tacking on 2 kills in the run for a 16-4 lead which was simply insurmountable.  Linden fought back to establish momentum  but just could not cut into that lead too much as the Hilltoppers crested over the 20 point mark holding a 21-11 lead. Linden forced a TO by the visitors after cutting the lead to 6 but again Summit responded with a 4-1 run with the Feuerstake sisters combining for 2 kills to seal the set 25-16.

SHS outscored the Tigers 13-8 in the set (9k-4ace) which proved to be the deciding factory in the win.

Set 3

The Tigers were a bit slow out of the gate and were forced to take an early TO after the Hilltoppers jumped out to a 7-4 lead after a Nowicka kill and a Handal ace but this time the Linden squad responded after the time-out and in a few rotations the teams found themselves knotted up at 12 forcing a Summit TO.  Yet again,  much like the first set,  the Tigers seemed to have an offensive answer late in the set and Summit could not find one.  Linden expanded the lead to 18-15 before Nowicka responded with a kill but to no avail as the Tigers forced Summit into another TO after they had increased the lead to 4 at 21-17.  The break in the action got the desired effect as the Lady Hilltoppers won 3 of the subsequent 4  points and found themselves within 2 points again of the Tigers at 22-20 after 2 kills by Herring out of the middle.  But it was too little too late as the home side took the set 25-21.

Although SHS nearly matched the Linden production (10k-9k),  it was the serving that played a major factor here in this set as the home squad notched 7 aces and SHS managed only 3 for a 17-12 point advantage.

Set 4

In a due or die set for the Hilltoppers,  Summit jumped out to a 5-1 lead (Welsh block, Henry kill) and kept that cushion in the early stages of the set until the Top rolled a 5 point run which saw Ge hit for another kill.  With the scoreboard showing 12-6,  Linden called a TO.  It did not seem to help though as the Hilltop crew notched another 3 points off A Feuerstake's tough serves and moved to a comfortable 15-6 lead which,  yet again, proved insurmountable for the Tigers.  Linden did respond with a 7-2 run but with SHS still up 17-12 after that run,  the team came off their TO and ran off 5 of the next 6 points to take full control of the set (Herring, Welsh 1 kill,  Ge 2 kills).   The team closed out the 4th set again giving up another Linden run to which Summit responded well to after they took a TO and ran off 3 of the last 4 points to take the set 25-19.

Summit was out-scored 12-10 in the set due to a 5-2 lead in aces and blocks by the Tigers although SHS held a slim 8-7 kill lead.  The difference in the set was that the Hilltoppers committed only a combined 5 hitting/serving errors in the set while Linden committed 10.  

Decisive Set 5

Linden jumped out to a slim 6-4 lead but the SHS responded with a 4-0 run (N Feuerstake 2 aces,  Henry kill) to get Summit an 8-6 lead.  The Tigers knotted the score up at 8 but then the Hilltoppers went on a 5-1 run (A Feuerstake ace,  Ge kill) that forcd a Linden TO at 13-9.  SHS saw their lead dwindle to a 2 points a couple of times (15-13 and 17-15) but a Deyonge kill and a service error by Linden ballooned the lead right back up to 19-15 and the final TO was employed by the home side.  SHS ran through 2 more points after the time-out (Handal ace) to expand the lead to 21-15 but 3 consecutive Linden points cut the lead right back down to 21-18.   The team saw a Linden attack go astray and then Ge nailed down another kill to get the Top some breathing room at 23-19.  A Summit service error gave life to Linden but SHS slammed the door with a Ge kill and forcing another Linden error which gave the Ladyhilltoppers the second win of the season at 25-20 SHS!

 For the match,  Linden barely out-killed the Top 38-36,  had one more block (4-3) and 4 more aces (17-13) for a 59-52 point lead.  The difference in the match was really in the point loss category where SHS lost 43 points off serves, attacks and faults while Linden lost 56 points.  Specifically,  the Hilltoppers had a +17 to +14 advantage in net offensive production as the Tigers notched 5 more errors in attack and also had 4 more service errors than the Hilltoppers.  

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Welsh and A Feuerstake 3

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Handal 2.31

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Handal, Ge and N Feuerstake 100

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - A Feuerstake 2.06

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 13

KILLS - Ge 11

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts) - Welsh .154

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - Ge 40.7

DIGS - Henry 18

BLOCKS - Deyonge, Herring, N Feuerstake, Welsh and Nowicka 1

ASSISTS - Welsh 30

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Ge 11 

***NEXT UP - RAHWAY, on the road,  4pm Monday

PIONEERS VISIT SHS FOR A TRI LEVEL OPENER

9th GRADE COMEBACK IN SET 2 DOOMS PIONEERS

The 9th Grade Lady Hilltoppers opened up their 2024 campaign with a VICTORY over the Pioneers of New Providence! The Squad was dominant in the first set opening up a 13-4 lead in a mere 3 rotations and held on to that cushion through rotaion 6 with the score flashing 17-7.  But in rotation 7 SHS blew it open with a 4-0 run that essentially put the game out of reach as the Top closed it out 25-10.

In set 2, the roles were reversed through rotation 4.  It was New Prov who took control from the service line and held 13-7 lead.  Although SHS made a push through rotations 5 and 6,  the score differential did not change much as the Pioneers enjoyed,  still, a 16-12 advantage.  But in rotation 8,  down 17-12,  the Hilltoppers went on a 4-0 run to close the gap to within one at 17-16.  The same deficit held true through the next 2 rotations but New Prov was inching closer to the set victory at 19-18.  But in rotation 10 the Top struggled to stop the visitor's service attack and the squad was looking at the wrong side of a 23-19 scoreboard.  With little room for error,  the Top closed the Pioneers out on a 6-0 run to close out their first victory!!!

Next up for the 9th graders will be the Scotch Plains-Fanwood team next Wednesday!.

JV KEEPS ON ROLLING IN A SWEEP!!

The Hilltoppers hosted their neighbors from New Providence and were very quick to take control of their opponent in the opening set with a resounding 25-11 win which was sealed by rotation 5 when the Top,  tied at 7,  went on an 9-0 run to go up 16-7 and they never looked back as the squad closed out the set on another 9-4 run.

Set 2 proved to be much of the same as the Hilltoppersled after the very first rotation 6-4 and in rotation 4,  leading 12-11,  Summit rattled off 13 consecutive points to blow the match wide open and closed it out 25-12.

JV now 2-0 and looking at Monday at Rahway for their 3rd match of the season.

NO GE NO DEVANEY NO PROBLEM

Summit was looking to bounce back from their 24-26 last set loss to the Dragons with a more consistent performance against the Pioneers but they would have to do it without the services of OH1 Ge and MB1 Devaney due to injuries sustained versus KP.

The home squad opened up well with a 6-1 run sparked by Welsh and A Feuerstake with an ace and followed up by Nowicka with 2 kills.  That cushion remained pretty static despite mini runs by New Prov because SHS matched those same runs in response so it was no surprise that by rotation 5 the Summit lead was still 11-6 and by rotation 8 the score still reflected that differential with 16-12 on the scoreboard after a N Feuerstake kill.  Handal then followed it up with a tough serve that forced NP into a hitting error and after a Henry dig,  Welsh attacked it and forced a TO by the visitors with the dump kill pushing the lead to 18-12.  After the TO,  Nowicka blocked down a Pioneer attack and despite a service break,  SHS held a 19-12 lead.  The closest New Prov got was to within 3 at 22-19 but a hitting error by the Pioneers pushed the score to 23-19 and sealed the fate of the visitors who went down quietly at 25-21.

Set 2 saw the Hilltoppers go on a series of mini-runs that created the cushion for the squad to retain control of the set and match.  Trailing 3-2,  Summit goes on a 5-0 run with kills by Nowicka, Deyonge and Caroline who also added an ace to get SHS up to a 7-3 lead.  Then at 7-4,  the Top win 4 of the next 5 points (Nowicka, Deyonge one kill apiece) and Heary put the icing on the cake with an ace (11-5 SHS forcing a TO by the visitors.  Unfortunately for the Pioneers,  the TO did nothing to slow the Hilltoppers as the squad came off the TO to score the next 8 of 9 points (A Feuerstake 2 kills/1 acem, Deyonge one kill) to push the lead to 19-6.  The match ended pretty much the way it started with Summit on a set and match saving run of 6-0 (Basaman ace, Herring kill,  Welsh ace) and the Top had won their first match despite the loss of key members of the crew.  

SHS outscored the Pioneers 34-16 for the match which was reflective of the final score.                               

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Welsh and Henry 2

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Welsh 2.50

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Heary and Welsh 100

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - A Feuerstake 2.29

PERFECT PASSES - Henry and A Feuerstake 2

KILLS - Nowicka 6

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts)- Ge .556, Welsh .500

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - N Feuerstake and Welsh 50.0

DIGS - Henry 9

BLOCKS - Deyonge and Nowicka 1

ASSISTS - Welsh and Nowicka 7

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Welsh and Nowicka 7

SEASON OPENER SUCCESS FOR JV VS. KENT PLACE ; VARSITY DROPS A TOUGH 2-1 DECISION TO THE DRAGONS

DRAGON SLAYER WU LEADS THE TOP TO VICTORY

The season opener for both levels gave the SHS fans a lot of entertainment yesterday as JV struggled in set 1 to stay competitive but found a way to battle and come from 2 down late in set 2 to take the win and force a decisive set 3.  The decisive set saw the Top trail midway through the set but key kills by Miles, Hurlburt, and Meltzer created by consistent location sets by Moghal helped keep the home side within striking distance as the match went along.  Mirliss, Armstrong and Colon were particularly consistent on serve receive which helped Summit generate those offensive opportunities!

Late in the decisive set 3,  KP had managed to generate a string of points late which put them within striking distance of the victory.  But then the Dragon killer Wu stepped up to the service line and for the 2nd time in 2 seasons,  the OH ran a multi-point string of serves (3 aces) at the end of a decisive set which not only erased the deficit but led to Summit's first victory of the season in dramatic fashion!

VARSITY LOSES KEY PLAYERS BUT FIGHT VALIANTLY IN LOSS TO DRAGONS

The Hilltoppers started the 2024 season on a very positive note.  Early on the Top jumped out to a 6-3 lead after a Herring block which sparked a 5-1 Summit run which saw A. Feuerstake hit for 2 aces and Ge notch a kill to fuel the run that had the home side up 11-4.  SHS maintained the lead through the latter stages of the set as A. Feuerstake and Welsh hit on back to back kills to give Summit a 17-11 lead.  Another set of kills by Ge and A. Feuerstake forced a TO by the Dragons at 19-12.  Despite a visitor late run which cut the lead down to 4 at 20-16,  Summit rebounded with a kill by N. Feuerstake and Welsh who also added an ace to push the lead to an insurmountable 24-16 lead which soon became the final score of set 1 of 25-19.  

Set 2 saw the Dragons rebound nicely striking for a 5-0 run early fueled by poor receiving by the Top which forced a TO by the home side trailing 3-8.  Off the TO,  Summit out-scored the visitors by an 8-3 margin (N Feuerstake and Welsh kills) fueled by their own serving and defensive plays to know the set at 11.  But in this set,  it was the team that could get that last run of points which was going to determine who would survive and KP struck first with a 7-3 run to hold an 18-14 lead which was then answered by Summit's 3-0 run to get within one at 17-18 (N Feuerstake and Nowicka kills).  But the Dragons woould get that last decisive run,  a 6-2 stretch late which allowed the visitors to close it out 25-21 and push the match to a 3rd set.  But the story of the set was really the loss of OH1 and primary passer Ge to a calf strain which would alter the receive and offensive patterns of the Lady Hilltoppers.  

Set 3 saw the early impact of the Ge loss as Summit was down 4-0 fairly quickly and adding injury to insult,  MB1 Devaney landed on the the foot of the opposing middle on a block and was lost for the rest of the match,  meaning that the Hilltoppers would be down 2 starters in this crucial 3rd set.  Although the squad was down 2-5, the team rallied together and after a tough service run by Devaney sub MB Deyonge,  the Top was tied at 5.  Summit kept weathering mini-runs by the Dragons and fighting back each time but things looked bleak at 16-11 down as the offense was struggling to generate points due to the missing players and a stingy KP defense.  

But then a hitting error by the visitors opened the door for SHS to get back in the match. Handal hit a bullet from the end line and her serve was mishandled leading to a free ball error and then she chalked up an ace to get SHS to within 2 at 14-16.  Unfortunately,  the Dragons earned 5 of the next 6 points and led 21-15 and the match looked out of reach.  Henry passed up a tough serve and the Top proceeded to attack 3 consecutive times through Nowicka but to no avail as the Dragons kept the play alive through multiple emergency plays.  FINALLY,  Welsh ended the point with a pin point back set for a kill which caught the visitors by surprise and SHS trailed 21-17.  Henry ....ace.... Deyonge .... kill ... 21-19 and the crowd into the match... TO KP.... Henry... ace ... 21-20... 

Kent Place finally broke serve on a SHS hitting error and despite the boost of energy,  an errant 2nd contact and an ace by the Dragons had all but sealed the fate of the Top as the scoreboard read 24-20 Visitors.  But yet again a service error by the visitors provided a glimmer of hope that the Summit crew latched onto late in the match. Welsh got a short serve over and in, 24-22... Welsh rips one to zone 5 for the ace... 24-23... Welsh puts a tough serve to 5 again but this time Kent Place got to run their go to set to the middle.... this time though,  they hit a wall named Deyonge who got the Top to 24-24... TO KP... Crowd LOUD!

Despite the heroic effort,  the home team fell to KP 26-24 in a hard fought match that saw the Hilltoppers play the entire decisive set without 2 of their top offensive threats but yet persevered through the adverse conditions to give themselves a shot to win.  

MATCH STATS: BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Welsh 4

SERVE RATING (at least 7% of team attempts) - Welsh 2.40, Henry 2.40

SERVE % (at least 7% of team attempts) - Henry 100, Devaney 100

PASS RATING (1.8 or higher) - Henry 2.13

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 8

KILLS - Ge 5 

EFFICIENCY (at least 10% of team attempts)- Ge .556, Welsh .500

KILL % (at least 10% of team attempts) - Ge 55.6, Welsh 50.0

DIGS - Henry 10,  Ge 6

BLOCKS - Deyonge, Herring, Welsh 1

ASSISTS - Welsh 18

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Welsh 9, A. Feuerstake 6

VARSITY SCRIMMAGE SEASON TOTALS

COMPILED TEAM STATS - WOODBRIDGE AND MADISON

BEASTS - BY THE NUMBERS:

ACE - Ge 8, Welsh 4

SERVE RATING - Ge 2.61,  Devaney 2.12

SERVE % - Ge 100%,  Henry 83.3%

PASS RATING - Handal 2.00,  Henry 1.79

PERFECT PASSES - Henry 11,  Handal 5

KILLS - N. Feuerstake 11,   A. Feuerstake 10

EFFICIENCY - A. Feuerstake .391,  Welsh .333

KILL % - Welsh 46.7%,  A. Feuerstake 43.5%

DIGS - Henry 14,  Basaman, Ge, Welsh 11

BLOCKS - Devaney 4,  Deyonge, Nowicka, Welsh 2

ASSISTS - Welsh 44

***TOP POINT SCORERS (Kills, Aces, Blocks***)

Ge 15pts.,  N. Feuerstake and Welsh 13pts.

***TOP NET POINT PRODUCERS (Pts. Earned - Pts. Lost)***

A. Feuerstake and Ge 4pts.

IMPROVEMENT FOR ENTIRE SQUAD IN 2nd SCRIMMAGE

 The 9th Grade Hilltoppers served markedly better and were better in receive which led the team to a 2-0 (25-11, 25-18) sweep of the Dodgers of Madison.  Coach Seifert reported that the squad looked more comfortable and confident in their rotations and movement patterns.

The JV Squad was equally successful against the Dodgers' JV Squad as the team out-gunned the home team from the service line and handled their neighbor's attacks comfortably.  The 3-0 sweep was a reflection of the team's ace production and constant pressure on the Dodger serve receive which led to a contrasting experience to the Woodbridge scrimmage.

Varsity was looking to improve their receive and serving parts of the game as well as being more productive on offense heading into scrimmage 2 of the season and the results were,  for the most part, very positive.

In Set 1, SHS dominated with a 25-7 score line with a 9k, 1 bl, 8 ac performance, out scoring the Dodgers 17-1 in the set en route to their set 1 win.  SHS passed at a blistering 2.25 rating and a 2.56 serve rating for set 1.

Summit 

Team Serving % - 92    Team Ace % - 32

BEST SERVE RATING - Ge - 2.86 (5 aces - 0 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Ge - 2.33

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Ge - 3

MOST PERFECT PASSES - Ge - 1

MOST KILLS - Welsh - 3

BEST EFFICIENCY - Welsh - 1.000

BEST KILL % - Welsh - 100%

MOST DIGS - Heary - 2

MOST BLOCKS - A. Feuerstake and Devaney - 1

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 6

In Set 2, Summit passed a bit below average (1.63) and served at a more average 1.88 rating due to a higher error rate which helped Madison go out to a 13-7 lead before the Hilltop went on a serving run which closed out the set on an 18-6 run to seal the set win.  Summit out-scored the opposition 13-9 in the set.

Team Serving % - 75    Team Ace % - 12.5

BEST SERVE RATING - Ge - 2.83 (1 aces - 0 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Henry - 1.83

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 6

MOST PERFECT PASSES - Henry - 2

MOST KILLS - N. Feuerstake - 3

BEST EFFICIENCY - Nowicka - 1.000

BEST KILL % - Nowicka - 100%

MOST DIGS - Ge and Welsh - 2

MOST BLOCKS - N/A

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 9

In Set 3, SHS once again came out on top 25-16 with the Maroon and White hitting the 16 point mark (11k, 1 bl, 4ac) while keeping the Dodgers to 3.  The only dark clouds in set 2 and 3 were the 13 service errors to 7 aces which kept the team's serving % at about 73% for sets 2 and 3.  In set 3,  the squad served at an average 1.75 rating.

Team Serving % - 70.8    Team Ace % - 16.7

BEST SERVE RATING - N. Feuerstake and Deyonge - 2.00 (1 aces / 1 err and 1 a / 0 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Handal - 2.33

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry and Basaman - 4

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Basaman - 50%

MOST KILLS - A. Feuerstake - 4

BEST EFFICIENCY - A. Feuerstake - .571

BEST KILL % - A. Feuerstake - 57.1%

MOST DIGS - Basaman - 4

MOST BLOCKS - Deyonge - 1

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 9

For the Match:

Team Serving % - 79.5    Team Ace % - 20.5

BEST SERVE RATING - Ge - 2.85 (6 ace, 0 err),  Devaney-Henry 2.00 (3a , 3e - 1a, 2e)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Handal - 2.00,  Ge - 2.00

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 10,  Handal-Basaman - 5

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Handal-Basaman - 33.3

MOST KILLS - N. Feuerstake-A. Feuerstake-Welsh - 6

BEST EFFICIENCY - A. Feuerstake - .545,  Welsh - .500

BEST KILL % - Welsh - 60,  Nowicka 57.1

MOST DIGS - Basaman - 5, Welsh-Henry-Heary - 4

MOST BLOCKS - Devaney,  Deyonge and A. Feuerstake - 1

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 24

FIRST SCRIMMAGE - WOODBRIDGE - AN EARLY SNAPSHOT OF THE SQUAD

The 9th Graders hosted the Barrons of Woodbridge for their first action of the year and came away with a 0-3 result although the young Hilltoppers had 20-25 and 22-25 results which were decided by serve receive and serve... Summit showed signs of their ability to score on offense and defensively kept plays alive but the team will continue to improve on its basics off the service line and receive to maximize their point scoring potential.

JV traveled to Woodbridge and dropped a 2-0 decision which saw the Top be ahead or tied through most of the match until the Barrons got around to serve for a second time.  The second time through the rotation,  SHS struggled with serve receive and found it difficult to match the serving production of the opposition.  The team is basically made up of many of last year's 9th graders and will look to improve on Thursday off today's performance.

Varsity also dropped a 3-0 decision to the Barrons but should have taken set 1 as the Top held a 24-19 lead late but unforced errors derailed that set win.  

In Set 1, SHS dropped a 26-24 decision, scoring 10 pts (6 k, 1 blk, 3 ace) while Woodbridge hit for 14 points (8k, 1b, 5a) .  Summit committed only 3 errors from the service line and had 3 hitting errors to out perform the Barrons who had a combined 12 service and hitting errors in the set.

Summit 

Team Serving % - 88    Team Ace % - 15%

BEST SERVE RATING - Ge - 2.38 (2 aces - 0 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- A. Feuerstake - 2.00

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 5

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Henry - 33%

MOST KILLS - A. Feuerstake - 3

BEST EFFICIENCY - Herring - .333

BEST KILL % - Herring and A. Feuerstake - 33.3%

MOST DIGS - Henry - 5

MOST BLOCKS - N. Feuerstake and Devaney - 1

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 5

In Set 2, Summit passed markedly better at a 1.95 rating but the team's serving went in the other direction and offset any passing advantage the team enjoyed.  The Top's offense was not enough to overcome those errors and SHS dropped a 25-19 decision.  Summit notched 10 points (6k, 3b) to the Barrons' 14 (13k, 1b).

Team Serving % - 68.4    Team Ace % - 0

BEST SERVE RATING - Devaney - 2.20 (0 aces - 1 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Henry - 2.50

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 8

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Henry - 50%

MOST KILLS - Ge - 5

BEST EFFICIENCY - Ge - .231

BEST KILL % - Ge - 38.5%

MOST DIGS - Ge and Basaman - 4

MOST BLOCKS - Welsh and Devaney - 2

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 7

In Set 3, SHS out gunned the Barrons by a 9-7 margin but lost the overall point battle 14-12 due to a 7-0 ace advantage by the Woodbridge squad.  The passing was the difference in set 3 as the Top dropped a tight 25-22 decision.

Team Serving % - 77.3    Team Ace % - 9.1

BEST SERVE RATING - Welsh - 2.75 (1 aces - 0 err)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Handal - 2.67

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 8

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Handal - 66.7%

MOST KILLS - N. Feuerstake and Nowicka - 3

BEST EFFICIENCY - N. Feuerstake - .750

BEST KILL % - N. Feuerstake - 75%

MOST DIGS - Welsh and Henry - 3

MOST BLOCKS - Herring and Nowicka - 1

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 8

For the Match:

Team Serving % - 78.8    Team Ace % - 7.6

BEST SERVE RATING - Devaney - 2.25 (0 aces - 1 err), Ge - 2.18 (2 aces - 0 errors)

BEST RECEIVE RATING- Handal - 2.00, Henry 1.77

MOST SAFE RECEPTIONS - Henry - 21,  Handal - 8 

BEST PERFECT PASS % - Handal - 37.5, Henry - 33.3

MOST KILLS - N. Feuerstake and Ge - 5

BEST EFFICIENCY - A. Feuerstake - .250, N. Feuerstake - .154

BEST KILL % - N. Feuerstake - 38.5,  A. Feuerstake 33.3

MOST DIGS - Henry - 10,  Ge - 8

MOST BLOCKS - Devaney - 3,  Welsh and Nowicka - 2

MOST ASSISTS - Welsh - 20

9TH GRADE TEAM REVEAL!

 Congratulations to ALL the 9th Graders who tried out for this year's team!!! This year saw the highest number of athletes try out for the team!! This is tremendous for the program but so TOUGH for the kids! 

We appreciate all the effort and energy you put into this process and whether you made it to Day 3 or not,  we want you to know that we loved what we saw from all of you during the tryout process and the improvement we all observed.  There were at least 4 kids that made Day 3 tryouts that were not on the radar after Day 1!!! 

If you did not make the team,  it does not have to be the end of volleyball!  I will be conducting some Saturday skill sessions (I will post here) and letting you know of other opportunities around the area for you guys to maybe take advantage of so that you develop your skills and gameplay.  

Other options:

1- Game Day Managers 

2- Join Other Sports (Head XC Coach Mattoon is still looking for more kids to join!) 

3- Look for Vball Camps/Clinics/Clubs to join to improve your skills!

Congrats to the following young ladies for surviving the 3 days and earning a spot on the 2024 9th Grade Volleyball Team!

2024 - 9TH GRADE LADY HILLTOPPERS VOLLEYBALL

Defensive Specialists: *Alta Lind, Naomi Kim, Catherine Erday, Lillian Santillan

Middle Blockers: Chloe Jacobson, Lily Beake, Hannah Jacobson

Outside Hitters/Opposites: Rachel Jesionowski, Claire Jesionowski, Sarah Barber, Sophia Shrekgast

Setters: Rylen Conroy, Ada Sastim, *Alta Lind

VARSITY AND JUNIOR VARSITY ANNOUNCEMENT

CONGRATS TO THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS WHO EARNED A SPOT ON VARSITY 

Setter: Mackenna Welsh, *Gabby Nowicka

Middle Blockers: Emma Herring,  Molly Devaney, Catherine Deyonge

Libero / Defensive Specialists: Caroline Henry, Maren Heary, Emmy Handal, Lynn Basaman

Outside / Opposite Hitters: Ava Feuerstake,  Liv Ge , Natalie Feuerstake, *Gabby Nowicka

CONGRATS TO THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS WHO EARNED A SPOT ON JUNIOR VARSITY

Setter: Nadia Moghal

Middle Blockers: Emma Easton, Sadie Hurlburt, Ava Kovarik

Libero / Defensive Specialists: Maddie Mirliss, Ayina Colon, Haidyn Knight, Callie Armstrong

Outside / Opposite Hitters: Emari Miles, Chloe Freeden, Sophie Meltzer, Ava Duetsch, Natalie Wu

SEASON 2024 IS HERE!!!!

 The beginning of a season is a very stressful time for everyone involved! 

Coaches,  excited for the new season but not looking forward to cuts...

All Parents,  making sure kids don't forget stuff,  arranging rides,  trying to figure out BAND and just wanting their kid to have a good experience regardless of the result of tryouts!

9th grade athletes, nervous and stressed about the process, the new school year but excited for seeing their friends or meeting new ones!

10th graders,  excited to see some people they haven't seen and not as scared anymore in some sense, but really stressed in another sense with the process of tryouts and how their sophomore year will begin!

11th graders,  knowing what an important year it is academically and looking to solidify their path on the team!  In so many ways,  probably the most anxious entering tryouts!

12th graders,  excited for their special year!!!! ALL the great stuff you will experience this year!!! ALL the memories to be made!!!!  But so many important things to deal with: the college selection and application process for instance and, for the first time ever,  due to the numbers of kids trying out for volleyball,  not guaranteed a spot on the team... No longer young girls but young women now dealing with more adult things in their lives... more mature,  absolutely, but still,  facing a very nerve-wracking tryout...  

Know that the coaching staff is very aware of the excitement a new year brings in so many ways but also ESPECIALLY aware of how difficult tryouts can be for each and everyone of you regardless of your grade level.

Parents,  I especially know your pain,  having a child myself who tried out for teams from 9th through 11th grade,  heard both the exciting words "I MADE THE TEAM" to the not so exciting "I didn't make it" 

All I can say as head of the program,  I understand and empathize... All of us on the coaching staff will do our best to give the kids as positive of an experience as possible given the circumstances and if you are a 9th grade parent,  know that tomorrow will be nothing short of a clinic experience and we will NOT evaluate them at all tomorrow,  we will teach them and get to know them and we just want them to HAVE FUN ON DAY ONE!!!!