NUTLEY, N.J. — The Nutley High School boys volleyball program is moving in the right direction.
The third-year program posted a 7-3 record through Friday, April 19, including a 5-2 mark and second place in the Super Essex Conference Colonial Division.
Kevin Riley, who has been the head coach of the program since its inception, is elated with the team's success.
“I'm very proud of our team's start to the season,” Riley said. After going 10-10 in their first year, the team had a great season last year, going 20-5. “After graduating seven seniors, we have had very good internal competition for playing time as we continue to regroup and find our strongest rotation. We have high expectations for the program. We have five great seniors that will help us, we're getting some really strong play from our juniors, and we have a group of underclassmen that I couldn't be more excited about.”
The team's statistical leaders are:
Kills – Junior Gavin Warburton – 89.
Brox – Sr. Saman Hashemi – 19 years old.
Diggs – Warburton – 52.
Assists – Freshman Evan Petrov – 175.
Ace – Warburton – 24.
Senior captain Ilhan Ilhan also ranks in the top three in kills, digs and aces.
Riley said of the three losses.
“It’s always tough to lose three games, but one was a rivalry game in Belleville against a (SEC–) American Division powerhouse, and the other two were against undefeated and division-leading Newark Tech. “It was a three-set match against the Terriers that reminded us that we're a program in our third year and still on the rise,” he said. “We're really looking forward to the second half of the season.”
NHS won the SEC Colonial Division title last season with a 10-0 record, won the preliminary round of the county tournament but lost in the first round, and won the first round of the North Jersey tournament but lost in the quarterfinals. . Group 2 state tournament.
Photo by Kevin Reilly