Volleyball on Wooden Court Floor Corner close up with light reflection 3D rendering with room for text or copy spacePhoto Credit: shutterstock/Praneat
By Mike Lamberti
PublishedSeptember 22, 2023 at 8:00 AM
Glen Ridge High has added a seventh varsity sport to its fall agenda, as the school introduces girls volleyball this fall.
Girls volleyball joins football, girls soccer, boys soccer, cross country, girls tennis and field hockey on the school's busy agenda.
Mike Tully, a highly successful middle school, high school, club and college coach, for 35 years, is Glen Ridge's first head coach.
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"We are having lots of fun," said Tully. "There’s a lot of pent up interest in the sport in Glen Ridge, and now it’s getting an outlet on the high school level."
Glen Ridge's captains this fall are seniors Maddie DeLuca, Allison Minion and Emily Minion.
"They are wonderful leaders, who have helped support the team values of teamwork, respect and improvement," said Tully. "We have four sets of twins in the gym."
Tully had a tremendous run as the girls volleyball coach at Montclair Kimberley Academy, for 13 years. There, he won 192 games as the program's head coach, from 2005-2017. The 2015 MKA squad also won an Essex County Tournament championship.
Tully was also a volleyball coach at Lacordaire Academy, in Montclair, for 11 years, as well as a softball coach there.
Coaching again on the high school level has provided Tully a good experience.
"Two of my grandkids go to Glen Ridge, so I thought perhaps I could help get the program off on good footing," said Tully. "I'm grateful to be there at such an historic time."
Through its first four games, Glen Ridge has put together a 3-1 record, with wins over Passaic Charter, in three sets, on Sept. 8, Paterson Arts, in straight sets, on Sept. 13 and Arts, in three sets, on Sept. 18. The team's loss came to South Plainfield.
The Ridgers are back in action, on Sept. 21, at Dickinson, starting at 4:15 p.m. On Sept. 27, the team is home to Irvington, at 4 p.m.
The 2023 varsity roster features Jorie Boyle (Middle), Catie Buntrock (Outside Hitter), Maia DeLuca (Defensive Specialist), Maddie DeLuca (Libero), Noa Hackmeyer (Opposite), Inari Krabbe (Outside Hitter),
Amelia Mikros (Outside Hitter), Chloe Mikros (Setter), Allison Minion (Outside Hitter), Emily Minion (Opposite), Sophia Ostermann (Middle), Ava Tahiliani (Setter), Nina Tahiliani (Outside Hitter) and Lisa Wan (Defensive Specialist).
In the program's debut, against Passaic Charter, Maddie DeLuca had 13 digs, Ava Tahiliani recorded 11 service points and two aces and Allison Minion had eight service points.
Versus Paterson Arts, Tahiliani had 10 service points and six aces. Tahiliani had 17 assists, 12 service points and four aces in the match against Arts High. Also doing well in the Arts match was Buntrock (8 digs, 8 service points) and Allison Minion (12 digs, 6 service points).