Playing in masks in a season that is not common for their sport, the Verona High School volleyball team improved their record to 4-1 with back-to-back-to-back wins over Montclair Kimberley Academy, Millburn and Livingston.
Verona travelled to MKA on Thursday, and took the first set 25-19. MKA edged them out by two points in the second set but Verona nailed a 25-21 win in the third. Jessie Loudon and Kaitlyn McCaffrey had 15 service points apiece in the win, and Loudon, a senior who plays libero, led Verona in digs with 26.
Livingston was next up on Friday and Verona again started off with a win, 25-20. But the Lancers are a tough opponent with a record nearly identical to Verona’s this season and they took the second set with a punishing 25-16 score. Verona rallied and the teams battled volley-for-volley until Verona pulled ahead 26-24 in the third. Outside hitter Patricia Rakova led the defense for Verona with nine kills. Loudon had 17 digs, and Megan Meehan, a senior outside hitter, was close behind with 15. Meehan led Verona with 10 service points while Sinclaire Infusino, a senior defensive specalist, recorded five aces on the afternoon.
On Saturday, Verona hosted Millburn, and that game also went three sets. Again, Verona took the first but dropped the second (25-15 then 19-25), but came back in the third set to win 25-19.
There will be no spring break for volleyball, which got pushed out of its usual fall slot by the COVID-19 pandemic. The girls face a full slate of games almost every day next week. With in-person attendance still limited by the virus, most of Verona’s varsity sports have livestreams set up. You can find the video links for current games here.
Photos copyright Shari Meehan. Used by permission.
