The Passaic Charter boys volleyball team was aiming for a feat that no sports team in the school's history had accomplished.
Passaic County has many programs with rich histories in a variety of sports, so it's always very difficult to win in county tournaments. Passaic Charter was ready to add its name to the record books for the first time.
After winning the sectional title in boys volleyball last year, Passaic Charter still won the county title and was removed from the list. Top-seeded Passaic Charter defeated seventh-seeded Passaic Tech in straight sets, 25-16, 25-22, to win the first county title in school history.
“I really appreciate everyone in this program,” senior Anthony Matute said. “I saw the article. Our depth definitely increased today. I'm really grateful for this opportunity today. I give the glory to God, and thankfully we will come out victorious.” I was able to.”
Matute led the way with 11 kills and five assists. Damian Gutierrez also had a big performance with eight kills and four digs.
“Mattete was a real pleasure to coach,” said Coach Salo. “He will go down as one of the greatest players in Passaic County history. He has played six spots for us over the past four years. He is the ultimate team player. , I can't wait to see what the next chapter is for him. Damian Gutierrez is the most underrated player in the county. He's a superstar and a big game player. He proved that today.”
The first set was close from start to finish, with neither team leading by more than three points until Passaic Charter pulled away late to close out the set with a bang.
The Panthers went on an 8-1 run, sending the fans into a frenzy. Kills by Daniel Lucero, Gutierrez, Matute and Alberto Nova accounted for the first four points. The Panthers recorded back-to-back blocks before closing out the set with Nova's ace.
“I thought I passed and served very well today,” Matute said. “That's our game. That's our team. We're very good at passing and serving.”
In the second set, Passaic Charter took a 15-9 lead and looked like it would be an easy victory, but a 13-6 Passaic Tech run gave the Bulldogs a 22-21 lead.
Passaic Charter was able to overcome the adversity and ended the match with a kill by Christopher Albino right after the return from Passaic Tech's serve.
Passaic Charter started its program in 2018, but didn't win a game in its first year and only won once in its second year. Salo is in his fourth year as head coach and has been able to quickly build the program to an elite level.
“This is a small school, so it's important to get other athletes involved,” Salo said. “We get other athletes to play, we get other athletes to cross over from other sports. You know we have a community behind us. A few years ago, this was one of the worst programs in the state. It's amazing just to have a fan base like this and be so supportive of the boys.”
Passaic Tech had a Cinderella-like performance as the No. 7 seed and reached the county finals. The Bulldogs upset Clifton and Passaic, falling one win short of returning to the county championship.
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Matt Bove can be contacted at: hssports@njadvancemedia.com