7 Serving Studs of the NJAC

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NJAC has some strong servers, but they’re more than just back row subs! Check out this </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">roundup of the top seven servers of the conference from the 2019 - 2020 season.</span></p> <p><b>#7 [player_tooltip player_id="99811" first="Amber" last="Chen"], OH, Roxbury, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside hitter </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="99811" first="Amber" last="Chen"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the stat-leading outside hitter for Roxbury high school. Part of an incredible program, Chen still stands out well on the court. She had 231 kills and 216 digs in the 2019 season, leading for both of those stats. It’s her 147 service points and 34 aces that earned her a feature in this list, but even aside from those numbers, she is one of the top and most impressive volleyball players in the state. </span></p> <p><b>#6 [player_tooltip player_id="99840" first="Riley" last="O’Hagan"], S/RS, Morris Catholic, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This dynamic setter rules the court over at Morris Catholic. Alongside libero </span><b>Alicia Pokrzywa</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, O’Hagan is able to right a tight offense. She finished the 2019 season with 160 service points and 41 aces. After she’s done ruling the scoreboard with her serving, she shows off with her hitting, blocking, and passing as well. This season, she racked up 83 kills, 22 blocks, and 2054 digs. This is one of the most well-rounded athletes in the region!</span></p> <p><b>#5 Quinn Longo, S/OH, Roxbury, Class of 2021 </b></p> <p><b>Quinn Longo</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of the top 5 setters in the state right now. She finished the 2019 season with 491 assists, 152 digs, and 46 kills. From behind the service line, she showed off with 45 aces and 150 service points. With a program like Roxbury’s, it’s not as challenging to get your sets to convert to kills, but even so, the numbers speak for themselves. This squad only graduated two seniors, neither of which were consistent members of the starting lineup. We can expect even more success from Longo in her senior season.</span></p> <p><b>#4 Ashley Carkhuff, OH, Hackettstown, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A recent commit to Drew University’s pioneer women’s volleyball program, Carkhuff is a solid outside player. She led her squad last season not only with 48 service aces but also with 195 kills. She played on a senior-heavy squad as one of a handful of juniors, so it was a battle to earn her court time. By the end of Hackettstown’s impressive season, she solidified herself on the starting lineup. This season is sure to be another standout experience for her.</span></p> <p><b>#3 Isabella Lino-Montes, OH/L, Mount Olive, Class of 2022</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The only junior on this list, Lino-Montes</span><b>,</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> stood out with a total of 50 aces in her most recent high school season. She also led her squad with 176 digs as the primary libero and filled in the gaps with 28 kills and 21 assists. This well-rounded player satisfies all over the court. With a whopping eight seniors gone, and being one of two returning juniors vying for the starting libero spot, Lino-Montes has a lot of work to do this season to help keep Mount Olive in good shape for the season.</span></p> <p><b>#2 Meaghan Lawrence, S, Pope John, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s nothing like the feeling of starting off a match with a strong series of serves. Lawrence is a trusty choice to make that happen. As the starting setter for both her club and high school teams, she is the first pick to start off the match. In just this past high school season alone, she racked up 63 aces from her time behind the service line. Not only can she dish ‘em out, but she can also keep them going. The way she commands her offense puts her squad in the optimal position to win the service point. Talk about a momentum builder!</span></p> <p><b>#1 [player_tooltip player_id="99815" first="Mackenzie" last="Wiggins"], OH, Sparta, Class of 2021</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While we don’t have the full count of her overall service points from last season, we are more than impressed by the 66 aces Wiggins earned. It’s clear from watching her hit that she’s a strong athlete. Her lethal jump serve doesn’t fall far behind her swings! Sparta is sure to have a stacked lineup for this upcoming season with Wiggins as a returning senior and plenty of other strong players working to keep her on a service run.</span></p>