Conference Preview: Shore

<p>Week 1 of the girls’ high school season has come and gone with some high-quality volleyball. However, that does not mean our conference previews are done! Next up is the Shore! The Shore Conference has talent at every position on the court making it difficult to give recognition to everyone. It’s one of the larger conferences but let’s give it a shot by looking at the favorites, dark horses and players to keep an eye on. </p> <p><strong>Last Season</strong></p> <p>During the spring campaign, there were three teams that were at the center of being the top in the conference: Southern, Trinity Hall and St. John Vianney. It came down to Southern who is the top dawg in the shore conference who ended up going unbeaten in conference play to take home the crown. </p> <p><strong>Favorites</strong></p> <p><em>Southern</em></p> <p>If you talk about the Shore Conference, it is required to talk about Southern. The team has been at the top of the Shore for a while now. The team continues to reload and they did lose some critical components from a year ago. But it will be a job by committee and they will be right there as always. </p> <p><em>Wall</em></p> <p>A squad who had a successful spring campaign was Wall who took home a sectional crown. A team who played 13 players and had significant contributions from all of them. The team was very senior-heavy but if the returners can step up their game, Wall will be right there again. </p> <p><strong>Dark Horses</strong></p> <p><em>Brick Memorial</em></p> <p>A team that can make some noise is Brick Memorial. The team has plenty of talent and has one of the best players in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="99872" first="Kate" last="Stoughton"]. Last season, they really found their groove after an early exit in the state tournament. The team will go as far as Stoughton can carry them and I would not be surprised if they are right there at the end of the season. </p> <p><em>Colts Neck</em></p> <p>A team may not see as a potential contender is Colts Neck. Colts Neck is a very deep squad and they rely on team defense with significant contributions from 9 players. The team will raise some eyebrows this season, the question will be who will step up as the focal point for this team offensively? </p> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="99872" first="Kate" last="Stoughton"] (Brick Memorial; OH)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="152484" first="Mackenzie" last="Bloss"] (St. John Vianney; S)</p> <p>Patria Moreno (Barnegat; S)</p> <p>Olivia Hill (Howell; MB)</p> <p>Alexis Pavlinec (Red Bank Catholic; MB)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="153459" first="Madison" last="McSorley"] (Colts Neck; DS/L)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="153458" first="Molly" last="Quigley-Sanborn"] (Pinelands; S)</p>