Jersey Mike’s Week 5 Girls Volleyball Team of the Week: Point Beach
In any division of any sport, one team eventually separates themselves from the rest of the group, usually pulling away to become the divisional champion. For majority of the season, the Garnet Gulls were in a dogfight with majority of the B Central, before pulling away and making their name truly known.
Point Beach started off their week after coming off a massive three-set victory at home over No. 16 Marlboro. The non-divisional matchups against high-quality opponents were continuing to fill up the résumé for the program, only getting themselves in fine tuning for the Shore Conference Tournament.
With a 6-1 record inside the B Central, the Garnet Gulls travelled to St. Rose and were seen with defeat after a two-set match. While they could afford that loss and continue to hold onto their lead inside the division, Point Beach knew there was no margin for error and needed to clinch their title once and for all.
Knowing that their next victory inside the B Central would ultimately result in a clinching celebration, they saw the perfect opportunity to strike against rival Keyport. Molly Huvane, like she's done all season long, commanded the way for victory with her 10 assists and 7 service points while Sophia Santoro continued to play like the athlete she's been with her team-high 10 digs. The Garnet Gulls won over two sets and were victorious of the B Central.
With 10 wins under their belt and a fresh title to the program, the locomotive kept on steamrolling and hosted No. 9 Red Bank Catholic to end their week. Celia Frizzell (14), Molly Huvane (10), and Sophia Santoro (10) combined for 34 of the Garnet Gulls 47 digs and gave the program another major win in 2023. As the divisional battles proved to be a fight all season long, the Garnet Gulls seem to have found their groove outside of the division.
Point Beach was awarded the 15 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, with their first matchup taking place on 10/18 at home against 18 seeded St. Rose, a team the Garnet Gulls are quite familiar with. As the Garnet Gulls continue to find themselves against tough opponents, the team continues to get stronger as a unit. Point Beach has been named Jersey Mike's Week 5 Team of the Week for taking their division, their persistence and their continued dedication all throughout 2023.