Montclair State University volleyball remains unbeaten at home after a straight-sets win over conference foe Ramapo.
In their dominant 3-0 win against Ramapo College of New Jersey, Montclair State University volleyball remained calm and competitive throughout their match against the loud and boisterous Roadrunners.
The Roadrunners arrived at Panzer Athletic Center with a 15-5 overall record, challenging Montclair State’s 19 wins this season. Although Montclair State was undefeated at home, Ramapo stood above them in the NJAC rankings. A win would keep Montclair State’s streak alive and present an opportunity to take its place.
Montclair State fought hard in all three sets, building leads and playing with precision. The match eventually became a chasing game for Ramapo, who strived to keep up as both teams broke their backs to keep the ball in play.
Sophomore outside hitter Bryn Bautista led the game in kills, recording 12, but still recognized the talent of her opponent.
“Kudos to them. They are very, very scrappy.” Bautista continued, “It was very hard and tiring to play against them because [in] those rallies, they kept the ball going, but I think at the end of the day, [we’re] just trying to find spots that they’re not in to make a move.”
“Kudos to them," said Sophomore Bryn Bautista after a win versus Ramapo. "They are very, very scrappy.” Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
In the last two sets, Ramapo started out strong, leading 2-0 in both. However, lead or not, Head Coach Eduardo Stawinski tells his players to keep “staying in the moment.”
“We tell them to take a deep breath and just concentrate on what they can do next, not to see 10 points from now and not to see 10 points from that just past,” Stawinski said.
Freshman libero Hayden Neuhaus backed this point from her coach.
Freshman Hayden Neuhaus led Montclair State with four service aces in their victory over Ramapo. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“Our mindset today was really just one ball at a time, one pass, one set, one hit and really just focusing on our ball control and being one as a team,” said Neuhaus.
The girls clearly showed a strong bond with one another, even in the face of fierce competition. Their support from the sidelines and chemistry on the court could not be missed. Despite the distracting clapping and cheering from the Ramapo bench, the girls from Montclair State reacted accordingly.
“I think a lot of people on the court, like, they kind of tune it out,” Neuhaus said. “But that just makes us more vocal, and that makes us communicate better.” She later continued, “Since they’re clapping and they’re being loud, that really fuels us to be loud and cheer on our teammates.”
Bautista agreed, staying “dialed in” during those moments of intense competition.
“We’ve come together after every point,” Bautista said. “I think those two seconds of just eye contact and ‘Hey, we got the next one,’ or if we lost the point, or we got the point, I think it really helps us.”
Montclair State went on to win all three sets, despite any distractions or setbacks. This game earned the Red Hawks their 20th win this season and tied the program record for most home wins in a single season.
Stawinski preaches preparation, saying, “I think our team does a really good job competing in practice, and that’s ultimately the big thing, we want our team to compete and practice at a high level to prepare for these situations.”
Neuhaus also preached the hard work of herself and her teammates before that night’s match.
Showing immense pride in staying undefeated at home, Neuhaus told The Montclarion, “We work so hard in the gym and it’s really just an outcome that we are looking for, and today, I think that really showed.”
Now, the girls look toward the rest of the season to test the work they have put in thus far. Their success as a team has far exceeded the NJAC, with several victories against out-of-state teams.
The Red Hawks have tied the program record with 13 home wins in a single season, with a chance to break the record on Oct. 30 in a match against John Jay College. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
Baustista said, “We’ve been playing tri-matches every weekend against some really good ranked teams, so I think that that competition is just great preparation for, not only the NJAC games, but just for ourselves to continue to play together as a team, [and] not put our heads down.”
Neuhaus felt ready for the challenges that the rest of the season holds, saying, “We want to win and we are the team that’s going to win, and we’re going to come out of this and work hard.”
