River Dell fought back from a 2-1 set deficit against No. 2 Demarest on November 12, securing the North Group 2 girls volleyball championship with an epic 22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-15, 15-3 victory that had everyone on the edge of their seats. The top-seeded Hawks claimed their first sectional title since 2017, proving that once they get rolling, very little can stop their momentum.
The Grind, The Comeback, The Momentum Shift
This wasn’t some easy stroll, no way. Demarest, the Bergen County champion and defending Group 2 champs, came out swinging and even built a massive 10-point advantage in the third set. They were up 2-1 in the match, looking like they were about to close it out. But River Dell, they started chipping away late in that third set, showing some real fight. That little flurry, that spark, it carried right over into the fourth. The Hawks reeled off eight straight points after Demarest scored first, absolutely dominating the set to take a 15-3 lead. Demarest had to burn both their timeouts just to try and stop the bleeding. When the game is played at this level, momentum is everything, and River Dell had seized it. Coach Dianne Furusawa nailed it, saying, “Volleyball is a game of momentum… it’s like a wave, right? And you’ve just got to ride it as long as you can.” They rode that wave straight into the decisive fifth set.
Mela Camovski’s Unbelievable 10-Point Blitz
Entering the fifth set, played to 15, the energy was electric. River Dell grabbed a side out for a 3-2 lead, and then junior libero Mela Camovski stepped up to serve. What happened next? Absolutely unbelievable. Camovski served 10 points in a row, including two aces, completely swinging the outcome of the final! Ten unanswered points in a championship match, that’s just wild. The Hawks’ offensive firepower was on full display throughout the match too. Senior Kailyn Murray-McCormick was a force, racking up 11 kills and 21 assists, plus two clutch blocks during that fifth-set run. Senior Roni Jastrzebska was everywhere, serving the run that helped River Dell pull away in the fourth, finishing with 14 kills, 20 digs, and 3 aces. And junior outside hitter Marissa Petrocelli led the team in both kills (22) and digs (21). Credit to Demarest’s senior standout Deana Finkelstein for doing all she could with 11 kills, 16 assists, and 5 blocks, but River Dell’s late surge was just too much.
Refocused, Ready For More
Winning a championship like this means so much. Murray-McCormick summed it up perfectly: “I would be so proud of our team regardless of what happened. But I think winning [the title] shows who we are as a group, especially for all the people before us that got so close, and it really justifies all of our hard work.” Coach Furusawa praised her team’s resilience, saying, “This group takes care of themselves. I just guide them along. They’ve come back from long runs, and they just keep fighting and fighting and fighting.” This win carries even more weight when you look at River Dell’s season. They started 13-0, then hit a rough patch, losing twice to Ramapo, including an upset in the Bergen quarterfinals. It hurt, sure, but sometimes a tough loss is exactly what a team needs to refocus and reach its potential. Back in 2016, River Dell went unbeaten to the state final only to be upset by Ramapo, finishing 26-1. This team knows what it takes, and they’ve learned from every step of the journey.
Now, the Hawks (22-4) are heading to the Group 2 state final on November 15 at Franklin High School. They’ll face South sectional winner Ocean City (25-2) at 3 p.m. This isn’t just about a sectional title anymore, it’s about the whole dang state championship. Get ready, because these Hawks are coming!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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