During a four-match stretch against powerhouse programs earlier in the month, the Pinelands Regional girls volleyball team learned a few things about itself.

“Especially during the Williamstown match, we learned we can play with some big teams,” said senior Ava Vanarelli shortly after the Wildcats ousted Barnegat with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-13 win in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament on Oct. 21. “We took a set from Williamstown, and that was some of the best volleyball we played this season. We didn’t win the match, but we learned we can block, hit hard, and serve a team off the court.”

Despite going 0-4 against the Braves, Southern Regional, Washington Township and Ocean City, the Wildcats gained valuable confidence as it neared the SCT.

“We have a very tough schedule. We’re second in power points in South Jersey Group 3 because of it,” said head coach Kathy Bennett. “Almost every team we’ve played has a winning record, so these girls have weathered the storm, fought through it, and now they’re really playing well together and having a good time. Everybody’s doing their job, and our team has found its confidence.”

As the sixth seed for the SCT, the Wildcats (12-12) looked quite confident against the 11th-seeded Bengals, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in the first game before Barnegat climbed back into it with a 5-0 spurt to make it 7-6 following an ace from Carly Manna.

After Cali Peterka’s kill made it 10-6, Pinelands maintained a small cushion until Patricia Moreno sandwiched a pair of kills around another from Peterka to push the Wildcats’ advantage to 20-12, and they cruised from there to go up, 1-0.

The Bengals (12-11) received an ace from Taliyah Oyemade and Pinelands committed a pair of errors to give Barnegat a 3-0 lead early in the second game, but a pair of kills from Moreno sent the Wildcats into the lead to stay. Another Peterka kill followed by a pair of aces from Alexis Holevas staked Pinelands to a 7-3 lead.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Pinelands senior Cali Peterka cranks her arm forward as she prepares to smash one of her 16 kills during the Wildcats’ conference tournament win last week.

Barnegat trimmed the deficit to a point, 11-10, but an ace from Jules Platti – one of her five for the match – was the catalyst for a 5-0 run that gave Pinelands a 16-10 margin. The Bengals later closed the gap to four points, 21-17, but Pinelands won four of the next five points, culminating with a pair of kills by Peterka and a passing error by the Bengals.

Capitalizing on multiple Barnegat errors, the Wildcats built a 9-3 advantage in the third set and rolled from there, taking a nine-point lead at 20-11 after an ace from Brooke Praschil and a kill from Peterka, who scored her last kill of the match to make it 22-13. Three consecutive errors by the Bengals sealed the victory.

Peterka finished with 16 kills. Cassie Gould ended with 15 digs, while Geneva Blight tallied 10 digs to go with four kills and two aces. Holevas managed 10 digs and four aces, Praschil added three aces, and Vanarelli delivered six kills. Elexis Deschin scored on five blocks, and Chloe Tucker and Riley McQuaid dealt 19 and 13 assists, respectively.

“There was some more pressure on me this season, but I learned so much from being part of the front line with so many great players last year that I was able to adjust,” said Vanarelli, who happens to be the class president and current valedictorian. “Now, along with Cali in the front, I’m so much more confident than I was, and I’m able to channel it well.”

Unfortunately, the Wildcats’ road in the SCT ended in the second round two days later with a 12-25, 12-25, 14-25 loss to second-seeded St. John Vianney (21-1), last year’s Non-Public A state champion. Peterka finished with six kills, while Moreno and Deschin each managed four kills and Vanarelli contributed three kills. Gould had 12 digs, and Tucker and McQuaid each dealt eight assists.

“We had to figure out what we were really like,” Peterka said. “And this team is made of a lot of grit and energy, and we always remind ourselves that we have to go into every match with all our energy and bring everything we have onto the court. That’s the only way we can win. But more than that, it’s about showing our love for the sport and being out there together.”

HOP TO IT: Barnegat sophomore Carly Manna sends a service toward the other side of the net during the first game of the Bengals’ loss to Pinelands in the SCT.

With a week to prepare for the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 tournament, the defending state runner-up likely will enter this year’s tourney as the second seed behind Ocean City (21-2).

“We have to see what the matchups look like, but if we play like we’ve played the last few weeks, we should be solid,” Bennett said. “I’m looking for the girls to just play their best and see where it takes us. I think they expect to go as far as they can, and that’s at least a section final. Our service can be a weapon, but we just have to play our own game, with solid defense, and see where the chips fall.”

The SJ3 tournament is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Pinelands likely will host 15th-seeded South Plainfield in the first round. Barnegat is expected to be the fourth seed, right behind Newark Tech, and likely will host Cinnaminson in the first round.

Rams Cruise Into SCT Semifinals

As for Southern Regional, the SCT title is very much within reach. Following a first-round bye, the top-seeded Rams scorched ninth-seeded Middletown South, 25-14, 25-13, 25-13 in the quarterfinals.

Ava Malandro led the offense with 16 kills, while Kayden Bulger smashed 13 kills, dealt a pair of aces and managed 15 digs. Gianna Manochio tallied 19 service points, including four aces. Ryleigh Tietjen handed out 18 assists to go with two aces, and Audrey Staiger also gave away 18 assists.

The Rams (16-5) were scheduled to square off with fifth-seeded Jackson on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with the winner to meet either second-seeded Donovan Catholic or St. John Vianney in the championship at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Georgian Court University.