CALDWELL, NJ – Verona girls volleyball is the Essex County champion. The Hillbillies beat No. 2 West Essex 25-15, 25-21 in the Oct. 29 final, finishing the tournament without dropping a set and improving to 24-2.
MaxPreps ranks Verona third in New Jersey and first in Group 1. The Hillbillies are the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Group 1 tournament and open state play after a first-round bye.
How the season unfolded
Verona has won 50 of 57 sets and swept 21 of its 26 opponents. The Hillbillies opened 14-0, beating Livingston twice along the way. The streak ended Oct. 3 at Immaculate Heart Academy, 25-15, 25-19, hours after Verona swept Princeton on the same court.
They responded with four straight wins, including sweeps of Mount St. Dominic and West Essex, the county tournament's No. 3 and No. 2 seeds. On Oct. 12 they beat Millburn 25-16, 21-25, 25-12, as Brynn Mack put up 32 kills, the most by any player in a Verona box score this season.
Two days later, Verona lost at Cedar Grove. The Hillbillies have won four straight since, including a 25-22, 26-24 win at Bogota, now 21-3 and the No. 2 seed in Verona's state section.
Dig Pink night at Cedar Grove
Verona's second loss came Oct. 14 at Cedar Grove, 26-28, 25-13, 22-25, in the neighboring schools' annual Dig Pink match benefiting Minette's Angels, a breast cancer charity.
The Hillbillies outhit Cedar Grove 39 kills to 35 and dominated the second set, 25-13. But they lost a first set that went to extra points and fell just short in the third.
Brynn Mack had a big all-around night with 19 kills, 11 digs and two aces. Thia Tome added 13 kills, Ylliona Hoxhaj ran the offense with 33 assists, and Vianna Arrington-Phillips had 12 digs.
The players who carried Verona
Brynn Mack is the centerpiece. Coming into tonight's county final, she had 386 kills in 25 matches, about 15.4 a match, and led the team in blocks (25) and aces (34). She also ranked second with 214 digs and reached double figures in kills in every match but one, the win at Bogota.
Ylliona Hoxhaj ran the offense with 533 assists, including 33 in both the Millburn win and the Cedar Grove loss. Thia Tome was the second option at the net with 155 kills.
Vianna Arrington-Phillips anchored the back row with 248 digs, including 28 at West Essex on Oct. 7, and added 31 aces. Nina Maglifiore led the team in service points and had 27 aces, while Sara Mroz and Brooke Dacey shared time in the middle.
Totals entering the Oct. 29 county final, from NJ.com box scores for 25 matches. The Montclair Kimberley box score was cut off and may be missing a row.
Essex County Tournament
Verona won the county title without dropping a set. After a bye as the top seed, the Hillbillies beat No. 16 Belleville 25-7, 25-14 on Oct. 20, with Mack putting up 16 kills and Hoxhaj 26 assists. They then beat No. 8 West Orange 25-21, 25-17 in the Oct. 23 quarterfinals behind Mack's 11 kills and 11 digs.
On Oct. 27, Verona beat No. 4 Livingston 25-21, 25-14 to reach the final, its third win over the Lancers this season and the first without dropping a set. Mack had 15 kills and 10 digs, and Thia Tome added 12 kills. Ylliona Hoxhaj had 28 assists, and Sofia Morales chipped in 11 digs and three aces.
In the Oct. 29 final at Mount St. Dominic, Verona beat No. 2 West Essex 25-15, 25-21 for the county championship. It was the Hillbillies' third win over West Essex this season, all in straight sets. [Standouts to add from the box score.]
State tournament preview
Verona is the No. 1 seed in the 20-team North Jersey, Group 1 bracket, which becomes official at noon Wednesday, Oct. 28.