Volleyball Reaches 17 Wins, Boys Soccer Shuts Out Hillsborough, Field Hockey falls to Hunterdon Central
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery High School picked up a pair of victories Wednesday as the girls volleyball team continued its outstanding season with a four-set win over Bernards and the boys soccer team edged neighboring rival Hillsborough, 1-0. The Cougars’ field hockey team also battled Hunterdon Central in a close contest, holding an early lead before the Red Devils scored the deciding goal in the fourth quarter for a 2-1 victory.
Volleyball Bounces Back to Beat Bernards, Improves to 17-2
Montgomery’s girls volleyball team continued to add to one of the strongest seasons among the school’s fall programs, defeating Bernards 3-1 to improve to 17-2. The Cougars opened with a 25-19 victory before Bernards responded with a 25-14 win in the second set. Montgomery quickly regained control, dominating the third set 25-10 before closing the match with a 25-15 victory in the fourth. Sidney Koslow led the Montgomery attack with 13 kills while adding 11 digs and two aces. Sonia Gupta turned in a particularly productive all-around performance, recording nine kills and a team-high 19 assists while also serving two aces. Montgomery continued to show the depth that has characterized its season. Leah Fenmore finished with six kills and a block, while Anita Balashova added five kills and Avery Zhao contributed four. Captain Anshika Verma was a force at the net defensively, recording four blocks to go along with three kills.
The Cougars were also strong in the back row.
Selina Tan led the defense with 25 digs, while Carly Zissman added 16 and Koslow finished with 11. Zissman also led Montgomery at the service line with five aces as the Cougars totaled 13 for the match. Montgomery finished with 41 kills, 62 digs, 25 assists and five blocks, responding strongly after dropping the second set and outscoring Bernards 50-25 over the final two. At 17-2, the Cougars continue to build momentum as the season moves deeper into October.
Jerdonek Goal, Ande Shutout Lift Boys Soccer Past Hillsborough
Montgomery boys soccer returned to the win column with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Hillsborough, improving to 7-6. The neighboring rivals played through a scoreless opening half before Montgomery finally found the breakthrough after intermission. Macintyre Jerdonek provided the game’s only goal, with Tomas Tanoue earning the assist. From there, Montgomery protected the advantage and finished off the shutout. Goalkeeper Nischal Ande was credited with 15 saves in the box score, anchoring the Cougar defense throughout the one-goal contest. The victory was an important response for Montgomery following its 3-0 loss to Gill St. Bernard’s in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals earlier in the week. With very little separating the two teams Wednesday, one finish proved to be enough. Jerdonek supplied it, and Montgomery’s defense made it stand.
Late Goal Lifts Hunterdon Central Past Montgomery Field Hockey
Montgomery field hockey came within a quarter of forcing overtime before Hunterdon Central scored late to earn a 2-1 victory. The Cougars struck first when Aahana Joshi scored in the opening quarter, giving Montgomery an early 1-0 advantage. Hunterdon Central answered in the second quarter when Myia Sanz scored off an assist from Phoebe Soltis, sending the teams into halftime tied at 1. Neither side scored in the third quarter, leaving the game even entering the final period. That was when Meghan Smith broke the tie, scoring Hunterdon Central’s second goal and giving the Red Devils the lead they would carry to the finish. Montgomery goalkeeper Phoebe Rounds was credited with six saves in the loss. The defeat moved the Cougars to 2-10-1, while Hunterdon Central improved to 5-9. Despite the result, Montgomery stayed within a goal throughout and carried an early lead against a Hunterdon Central side that ultimately needed a fourth-quarter score to decide the game.
Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomry.com