Head coach Karla Jennings thought this season’s Barnegat High school girls varsity volleyball team had more athleticism and work ethic than any of her earlier squads since fielding a varsity team in 2006, and her beliefs sure paid off. In November, her team reached the state semifinals for the first time, losing to Sterling High School in the best of three set-up. Sterling won the first and third matches by respective scores of 25-16 and 25-14, but Barnegat took the middle game, 25-22.

Although they were denied a chance to play in forNJSIAA Group II state title, the Bengals’ outstanding season resulted…