Jersey Mike’s Girls Volleyball Team Of The Week: Donovan Catholic
Donovan Catholic under Coach Jansen is used to fast starts, but nothing has been as historic as the beginning of the 2023 season.
The Griffins return a talented roster that did not harbor one loss from last Fall. The experience is proving to be a huge part of their early success.
In high school athletics, certain seasons tend to stand out based on the varsity experience of the current roster. Getting out to a strong start was always the name of the game for the Griffins, and they’ve wasted no time in asserting themselves as one of the prime teams to beat.
Donovan Catholic started the season ranked No. 2 in the Shore 16 and have not wavered by winning seven straight matches in the first week of in-season play. The Griffins are being named the Girls Volleyball Week One Team of the Week brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, “A Sub Above”.
Donovan Catholic’s first task was taking on the reigning Central Jersey Group III Champions, the Colts Neck Cougars in which they came out victorious in a rather dominating fashion.
A two-set victory over Colts Neck led to five straight wins. Led by Seniors Macayla Lindner, Shantel Starling and Daniella Tischio, there's the sense of a special season underway in Toms River.
During a two-set win over Barnegat, Daniella Tischio collected her 500th career assist after tallying 18 assists in a key divisional matchup.
A pinnacle tri-match took place last Friday against Union Catholic and Williamstown which was Donovan Catholic's first true test of this young season.
While the Griffins had to fight in their first three-set match against Union Catholic, Senior Elizabeth Kavanaugh's 17 assists paved the way. Throw in Starling's 16 kills and Lindner's 10 kills and you will truly understand why the Griffins are winning.
Going up against the reigning South Jersey Group IV Champions from Williamstown was the icing on the cake for the Griffins on Friday night. After winning the first set 25-16, the Griffins dropped the second set. The final set saw Caleigh Austin digging in for a team-high 10 digs while Tischio continued to thrive with 15 assists. The Griffins soared high once again, taking this last set 25-23 and winning their seventh straight match. This win has gone down as the biggest in program history.
The Griffins have now extended their winning streak to eight after Monday's victory over Lakewood. They will be away at Manchester on Wednesday and host No. 10 Pinelands on Friday for another Class B-South divisional matchup. With a strong start to the season, this Donovan Catholic team is setting up for a strong run in the Shore Conference Tournament and they are angling for a high seeding in the NJSIAA playoffs.
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