Sports
Lady Bridgemen Volleyball Team Looks To Make Some Noise
Season preview: an experienced Fort Lee girls volleyball team wants to get out of the gates quickly this season, unlike last year, when they had to dig themselves out of an early-season hole.
The Lady Bridgemen are anxious to get the season underway, and they will not have to wait long.
On Sept. 9, the Fort Lee volleyball team will open their 2011 season at Bergenfield High School, whom they lost to in a close match last season. Leadership will be they key in games like this, and throughout the entire season, and due to the team’s good mix of juniors and seniors, leadership should not be a problem.
The team returns senior co-captain Megan Gimson, an outside hitter who played her first Fort Lee volleyball season last year; Anthe Nikolaidis, a senior co-captain and middle hitter; Nicole Farber, another senior co-captain, libero and strong defender; and Nicolette Papas, a senior setter, who head coach John Ziemba feels will be a crucial part of the team’s success.
Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“If she can get the ball to the hitters, we have four or five girls who can hit the ball pretty good," Ziemba said. "Nicolette has some experience, and I think she can do the job.”
The team must be prepared if they want to get off to a good start, with three important league games in a row scheduled during the first week of the season. The Lady Bridgemen will travel to Ridgefield Park, Cliffside Park and Dumont.
Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Gimson knows the team has a lot of strengths, but that one strength in particular could be the key.
“We definitely have strength in our hitting, and as long as we can get it to our setter, we’re a really good hitting team," Grimson said.
It will be a full team effort, and it seems like everyone is ready to give it their best this season.
“I think everyone has something to contribute, whether it’s the setters, the hitters," said Nikolaidis. "I think everyone.”
Team chemistry will also be big this season, and not just on the court.
“The key point to our success is probably the connection between the girls and how well we work together on the court and off the court,” said Farber.
This team has talent, and with the hard work of head coach John Ziemba and assistant coach Kelly Horton, it should be a fun year for the Lady Bridgemen and their fans. Coach Ziemba knows the team has the potential to do some special things this season.
“Our number one goal is to try and win a league championship," he said. "We have a pretty strong nucleus, and I think if we get off to a good start, we are going to have a chance.”
Least Year at a Glance
The Lady Bridgemen got off to a rough start, losing their first six matches. The team needed to be 7-7 at the cutoff date for the county tournament, and with that kind of pressure on, Coach Ziemba's team responded and ended up winning 7 of their next 8 matches to accomplish what didn't seem likely when the season started off. The team made it to counties, but the run didn't last long.
The 2011 Lady Bridgemen volleyball team, who are looking to get off to a quick start this season, looks like this:
- Hannah Cirone- Grade 11 Defensive Specialist
- Nicole Farber- Grade 12 Libero- Co Captain
- Destinee Fornes- Grade 11 OH
- Megan Gimson- Grade 12 OH- Co Captain
- Defne Gunvenc- Grade 11 OH
- Natsumi Ikeda- Grade 11 Setter
- Stephanie Nihamin- Grade 11 OH/MH
- Anthe Nikolaidis- Grade 12 MH- Co Captain
- Nicolette Pappas- Grade 12 Setter
- Nicole Skalamera- Grade 11 MH
