RANDOLPH, NJ- The Randolph girls’ volleyball team opened their season on Friday, August 28th at Millburn, which was a good test for the Lady Rams as the Millers will be a strong contender in Group 3 North. The Lady Rams took care of business, sweeping Millburn 2-0 (25-17, 25-19).
Reese Nelson led the way for the Lady Rams with 12 kills. The junior outside hitter was firing on all cylinders, thanks in large part to setters Klara and Karoline Hindson.
“I’m really fortunate to have two excellent setters, like the Hindson sisters, who know where I like the ball and can put it there,” Nelson added, “Karoline and Klara’s sets gave me great positions to swing away. I also took advantage of my opportunities with the out of system sets I got from Maria [Fuentes] and Ola [Jankowska] and kept hitting aggressively, helping score more points for our team.”
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Randolph runs a 6-2 offense this season, at least early on. That means there will be two setters in the system and three attackers in the front row at all times. Reese Nelson is thriving, and this new system is forcing the defense to get a different look at the Randolph offense, as opposed to the 5-1 the Lady Rams have run in recent seasons.
“It was an adjustment for us, but it worked well! I think the 6-2 gives us more hitting options, since we always have another pin available to set out of system,” the junior outside hitter said, “It keeps the other team on their toes because they never know which way the set is going, even when we aren’t in system. It also gives a defensive advantage with bigger blockers on the right side. Klara and Karoline are both amazing setters, which makes our offense more difficult to predict and defend.”
Following the victory against Millburn, the Lady Rams faced a familiar rival in the Morris Knolls Lady Golden Eagles. Randolph continued their winning ways, sweeping Morris Knolls by the scores of 25-8, 25-18.
The Lady Rams were off and running after an 8-0 run in the first set and led by the score of 15-3. Junior Emma Addison was at the service line for the duration of the run, and her consistency was instrumental in sustaining the scoring for Randolph.
Randolph kept up the strong play, subjugating the Lady Golden Eagles in the set and carried that momentum over into the second set as the Lady Rams coasted to a victory.
Ola Jankowska led the way with six kills, and constantly had the defense guessing about the different swings that the senior was able to attempt to score.
“My team was making an effort to make tempo passes and my setters, as always, stay deceptive to provide me with the best opportunity to score,” Jankowska said, “It is a team effort in every sense, and I hope our team chemistry continues to grow on and off the court.”
Serving was a big factor for the Lady Rams in this match. In the first set, Randolph had the Lady Golden Eagles out of system early and often.
“I was extremely impressed with our serving. We do our due diligence at the service line to get teams out of system, making the job a lot easier for ourselves,” the senior explained, “Also, we make an effort to continue to apply the same pressure throughout the game regardless of our opponents’ performance. The consistency in our mindset is what sets us apart and what impresses me.”
To finish off the week, Randolph faced the Roxbury Lady Gaels in the Lady Rams’ home opener. Once again, Randolph took down the Lady Gaels in straight sets by the scores of 25-16, 25-15.
Reese Nelson floated in three aces during a 7-0 scoring run, helping the Lady Rams to pull away and grab the first set. The junior outside hitter has been working on a topspin jump serve, and she is using that as another tool in her arsenal to force teams out of system.
“I have been working on my topspin since the end of my club season, and I’ve also gotten lots of reps using it at beach volleyball tournaments over the summer,” Nelson explained, “As I get more consistent with my toss, it’ll become a good weapon to mix in with my float serves to add more service pressure throughout the season.”
Jankowska took over in set number two, mashing seven of her team-high 12 kills in the second frame.
With the victory over Roxbury, the Lady Rams have improved to 3-0 on the season. Randolph will look to continue their winning ways as they play host Mount Olive on Wednesday, September 9 at 4 p.m.