BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield High School girls volleyball team posted a terrific season. The Bengals, under longtime head coach Louis Stevens, finished with an 18-8 record.
The Bengals, seeded fourth, had a good run in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament.
In the quarterfinals, Bloomfield defeated fifth-seeded Memorial (West New York) 25-18, 25-21, 25-10 on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at home. Junior outside hitter River Estrada had 18 kills and nine digs, sophomore OH Chideha Osondu had nine kills and 14 digs, junior setter Grace Belmonte had 25 assists and 11 digs, junior libero Dayvin Bixel-Burman collected 12 assists, senior defensive specialist Anaiis Bejasa recorded seven digs and senior middle blocker/opposite Olanma Kalu registered six kills.
The Bengals then lost at top-seeded Livingston 25-13, 27-25, 25-13 in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 7, to end the season.
Bixel-Burman had 13 digs; Bejasa had five digs; Estrada had eight digs, seven kills and two blocks; junior setter Teagan Weber had three assists; Belmonte recorded 10 digs and eight assists; Osondu notched 11 digs and seven kills; senior OH Katherine Brown collected three blocks; and senior defensive specialist Linda Arevalo and freshman Mackenzie Bixel-Burman each had two digs.
BHS defeated No. 13 seed North Bergen 25-19, 25-14, 25-18 in the first round on Monday, Nov. 3, at home.
The other players on the BHS roster this season are senior Avanni Escobar, juniors Alyssa Haag and Roselyn Coronel, and sophomore Naomi Santana.
Photos Courtesy of Jerry Simon
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