SKILL SET: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Kaelin Bobetich sets the ball in recent action. Senior star Bobetich, who moved to setter from the front row this season, has helped the Tigers get off to a 4-0 start as they have started their drive for a third straight state title. In upcoming action, PHS hosts Princeton Day School on September 11 before playing at Hightstown on September 12. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
With just three senior standouts returning this fall for the two-time defending state champion Princeton High girls’ volleyball team, the squad has a different look.
“From ’23-’24, I brought back pretty much the same starting lineup; from last year to this year, there are some changes but I think, it is exciting for the girls,” said PHS head coach Patty Manhart, who guided the Tigers to a 28-1 record last fall on the way to its second straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state title. “The preseason was good. I think it was exciting for a lot of players because there were new opportunities on varsity based on who we graduated and what our starting lineup would look like. We have been trying out a couple of different things. We are still open to adapt and grow. I think that really pushes players to be their best and not be complacent. We have work to do, we are still building.
The Tigers enjoyed an exciting opening week, going 4-0 with 2-0 wins over WW/P-South (September 2), Cinnaminson (September 3), WW/P-North (September 5), and Notre Dame last Monday.
“Because we have played a lot of the schools before, there are certain teams that we know are really going to push us and there are certain teams where we know we should be able to secure that win,” said Manhart. “I think sometimes when the girls know that is a team that we should be able to beat confidently, they might let the play slip a little bit or not push themselves as much. I didn’t see that in the first three games. They were playing their game, not making a lot of mistakes.
So the fact that they were still elevated as they were going was great.”
Competing against some of the top teams in the state at the Williamstown Tournament last Saturday, PHS elevated its game in taking second at the event.
“There were 10 teams there, you play eight sets against almost every other school that is there,” said Manhart. “Our only loss in the round-robin was against Williamstown by two points in the set that we played and then we ended up seeing them again in the final for the tournament and lost, so we finished second out of 10 teams. It was good competition and I am proud of how our girls played.”
While Manhart is not shying away from talking about the three-peat, she has implored her girls to focus on daily progress.
“I told the girls I keep getting asked, ‘What’s the plan, three-peat?’ this or that,” said Manhart. “I said, ‘You need to play today so people stop asking this question. Yes, that is the goal and that is what we are capable of.’ They get that.”
As usual, the Tigers have been getting some very good play from senior star and Tulane beach volleyball commit Naomi Lygas, the 2024 Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year.
“Naomi is great, she pushes herself to be better every single year,” said Manhart of Lygas, who has piled up a team-high 37 kills so far this season and now has 899 in her career. “She definitely has raised the bar for her senior year and that is part of that three-peat goal.”
Joining Lygas on the front row is fellow senior Charlotte Woods, who has 25 kills this year.
“Charlotte is fast and high energy and just exciting to watch play,” said Manhart. “She is so smart and so driven and works so hard. It is great to have her as another big hitter with Naomi.”
The squad’s other senior star, Kaelin Bobetich, is taking on a new role this fall.
“I moved her over to the setter position, she has played that on her club team,” said Manhart of Bobetich, who recorded a team-high 65 assists through the first four games. “She does a really great job because that position is so important for the team. I thought someone who had the experience returning as a senior could handle it and she has been doing a really nice job. The trade-off is that I lose her as a hitter. I have to think about how that impacts us going forward.”
With the graduation of star libero Pearl Agel, junior Camila Barbosa has filled that void for the Tigers.
“Camila was ready to step up to that role,” said Manhart. “She did a lot of offseason work for the lib position.”
Manhart is looking for some good work from junior Kenzie Miller, junior Lucy Wang, sophomore Milla Petrecca, sophomore Lily Cao, and senior Joanna Hou as they get more playing time.
“Kaelin used to be opposite or right side hitter and I have Kenzie playing that spot along with Lucy, Milla, and Lily,” said Manhart. “They are all great at blocking which is an important piece of the job. They can all hit. That spot is something that is kind of open, the girls who have been working into that position have been doing a nice job. Joanna was second setter last year, this year she is doing a little bit more on defense. Lily is also playing some defense for us on the right side. They are both great in the back row so it is nice that we have them as an option.”
As the new faces work into the lineup, Manhart is confident they will keep growing as the season unfolds.
“Last year any day that we would have a practice, it just felt more like how do we maintain and sustain game shape as it goes,” said Manhart. “Now this year it is more like, ‘OK, what do we want to focus on, what do we want to know that we are getting better at, and what do we want to build?’ Every practice is that growth opportunity, so I do see us still progressing throughout the season.”
As in the past two years, Manhart believes that the Tigers will be at their best by the time they get to the state tournament.
“The focus going forward is just going from strength to strength and making sure that we are doing something a little bit better every single time with that November playoff in mind,” said Manhart. “It is just what do we need to do to be ready for the postseason.”
In Manhart’s view, the team’s big three of senior stars Woods, Lygas, and Bobetich will have the team ready for another special November.
“All of the girls are competitive and they look at what Charlotte, Naomi, and Kaelin are capable of doing and have done,” said Manhart. “The three of them are captains and they set the bar so high so I think that really helps. At the same time, they are also always supporting their teammates, giving feedback to players, helping each other out and keeping up the energy. It could be nerve-wracking for some of their teammates being in their first varsity game in the starting lineup. The captains do a really nice job of supporting the girls. It is nice to have nice players.”