Volleyball captains cool under pressure

The great season of the top-ranked Sparta High School girls volleyball team was not the result of accident or luck.

The Spartans’ roster was filled with talented, well-rounded student athletes led by the senior captains Haley Maher and Payton Simpson.

“They are amazing volleyball players and stay cool under the pressure of big-game situations,’’ head coach Caitlin Jozefczyk said. “They are also personable and responsible girls who are dedicated to not only helping our program be successful but also making sure it is a fun, welcoming group and environment that all of the girls on the team enjoy being a part of.

“Haley and Payton have always been excellent volleyball players, but their overt leadership on the court has improved over the course of the season,” she said. “They are able to lift the other girls on the team up, communicate strategy and help them reset on the court if we are experiencing a change in momentum. They have been invaluable to our success thus far this season.’’

The team’s season ended in the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament Nov. 3, when it lost to fourth-seeded River Dell.

Sparta captured the Group 2 championship in 2022 with a 25-1 record.

Mental toughness

Maher began her volleyball career as an eighth-grader.

“My dad played volleyball when he was in high school and college so he was the one who got me started with volleyball,’’ she said. “My dad has been one of the biggest influences in my career as he is always telling me what to fix when I have a bad game so I can fix it for the next.

“One of my greatest strengths is my mental toughness. I don’t let just one mistake get to me and move onto the next play and make up for that last mistake. I would like to improve upon my serving aggressiveness when the game is close. I want to know that I’m able to deliver a hard serve when needed.’’

Simpson began competing in the Sparta recreational clinics in the third grade. She had older cousins who played volleyball and quickly became intrigued with the sport.

She said her family and coaches were major positive influences throughout her athletic career.

“I never give up, I have good court knowledge and I hustle a lot,’’ she said.

Her goals are to improve on her mix of shots “so that my offense is unpredictable.”

The Spartans won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament with a victory over a very tough Hunterdon Central team, 2-0 (25-16, 26-24 games scores), on Oct. 21. That was the first H/W/S title for the girls volleyball team in school history.

Speaking mid-season, Jozefczyk said, “Our entire team has contributed to our success so far this season: we are balanced on both offense and defense.

“We do not have one star hitter, but if you look at our stats, all of my hitters share pretty much the same amount of kills. I have five different girls that can put the ball down and my setters do a great job of moving the ball around, so the other team really can’t cheat towards one hitter or one side.

“We are a very versatile team and we don’t need to rely on one person to get the job done. All six girls on the floor share the responsibility equally and therefore have an equal share in our success.”