WEST ORANGE, NJ – For the first time in school history, the West Orange High School girls’ varsity volleyball team defeated Livingston on Sept. 13.
“The day before we had an upsetting loss against Bloomfield,” said WOHS head coach Jackie Cruz. “The girls did a great job coming back from a 21-13 deficit to tie it 23-23. Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish. I mentioned to the girls that we must control what we can control and do our very best at it.
“Saniyiah Richardson (libero/co-Captain) led the team in digs with 17. Saniyiah has been doing a great job sweeping everything. She has improved so much. I remember bringing her up to varsity her freshmen year as the starting libero; she was quiet and timid and was just learning the game. She was a fast learner. Through her commitment and hard work, she’s looking to be one of the top contenders in Essex County.”
Cruz was proud of her team’s effort in the win over Livingston.
“The win against Livingston was a team effort.” Cruz stated. “We had three hitters that were explosive at the net. Indigo Jackson led us with 11 kills, one block; Ogechi Nwobu had 10 kills, 10 blocks; and Racheal Ezomo finished with nine kills, five digs.
“We are struggling with being consistent right now. But I believe as the season continues, we will improve on our momentum. We have young players filling in the pieces from last year. I believe through reps and more game play, they will have a better understanding of how to get the job done.”
WOHS then fell to Montclair on Sept. 17 to move to 5-2.
Photos courtesy of Cynthia Cumming
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