Finally back on the field: Paul VI, ready for the postseason, plays as if no time has been lost

A longer period without competition can have its setbacks.

In any sport, the best way to maintain a sustainable pace and confidence on the volleyball court is to simply play the game.

Paul VI – No. 3 in the NJ.com Top 20 – had not played a game in almost ten days according to Saturday’s schedule. The Eagles had a bye in the NJSIAA Non-Public A South tournament as the top-seeded team, giving them a well-deserved break.

Instead of leaving Paul VI on their minds while the rest of the state played in the postseason, they attacked each practice with a deliberate effort to improve on whatever facet they deemed necessary.

On Saturday at Haddonfield, Paul VI played like they were in midseason form, almost seamlessly registering their points in the quarterfinal against eighth-seeded Red Bank Catholic.

They posted a 25-5, 25-9 win and improved to 21-2 as the top-ranked non-public team in New Jersey.

The Eagles are no strangers to making deep runs in the state tournament. They have made it to the state finals three years in a row, including winning the championship in 2021.

That familiarity goes a long way after a tough regular-season schedule that included four out-of-state games. Paul VI’s taking a step back this past week, although difficult to come to terms with, may have been beneficial to this unity.

“Being absent from matches is a good thing and a bad thing. Obviously we want to play as often as possible, but I think this break in matches has allowed us to physically recover and decompress,” said Maggie Carcillo of Paul VI. “Now we are one hundred percent ready.”

On Saturday Paul VI played with spirit. A uniformed energy was performed in their home gym, which resulted in eight different players recording at least one kill, including seven who went for multiple.

Paul VI Kill Totals, November 9

• Maggie Carcillo: 4
• Megan Evans: 4
• Kassadi Avent: 3
• Kam Wertz: 3
• Amelia Reagan: 2
• Khloe Greene-Gordon: 2
• Anna McGrath: 2
• Kayle Arozio: 1

The defense was also steady, holding Red Bank Catholic (13-13) to three kills in the win. Carcillo scored a double-double, including 11 digs, to calmly set up an offensive game. Paul VI rehearsed his defense in training all week, trying to prevent the ball from rising too high.

“In every practice we took time to work on different things to make us better,” Mascolo said. “The most important thing for us was to make sure the ball didn’t hit the ceiling after a dig, as we have a number of home games. That kind of training certainly helped us in this match.”

Even though there was an error in the match on Saturday, Paul VI was quick to solve it.

In the opening frame, Avent missed a powerful kill by just inches on the outside line, sending him out of bounds. The Paul VI coaching staff motioned for her to adjust her swing slightly, and before you could blink, Avent was immediately given another opportunity to hit.

This time she was not missing.

“Kassadi opened up a little early on the jump and her arm twisted out because of that mistake,” said Paul VI head coach Dan Chung. “But Kassadi is so talented and smart that she can make the right adjustment in no time. I’m glad she got another set and put the ball away.”

Carcillo recorded 10 assists and Mascolo added eight as a perfect combination of setters that each sought out every hitter on the roster.

This level of reliability will be difficult for the opposition to predict in the future, especially now that Paul VI is fully energetic and healthy.

Paul VI will take on fourth-seeded St. John Vianney in the semifinals on November 12.

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PJ Potter can be reached at [email protected].