What to Expect from Old Tappan

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Old Tappan High School finished the 2019 - 2020 season as County Champs for Bergen County. With an overall record of 22-3, Old Tappan left little room for error. Their three losses were to Northern Highlands and Immaculate Heart, whom they later beat both 2-1, and Mendham in the semifinal round of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champs. The loss of libero </span><b>Gianna Fasano</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and defensive specialists </span><b>Gianna Sabatini </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><b>Isabella Wong</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> appears to prove a threat for Old Tappan’s defense, but returners like </span><b>Emma Illovosky</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><b>Carly Powell</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><b>Sofia Colon</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are eager and willing to fill in the gaps.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The loss of Fasano will be deeply felt as she represented 213 digs and 24 aces last season. The same goes for Sabatini and Wong who represented 81 digs and 20 aces and 105 digs and 22 aces respectively. They’ve also graduated right side and middle blocker </span><b>Nina Trent</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> whose 106 kills, 11 blocks, and 21 digs made her a quintessential part of the core squad.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Returning to the floor for her senior season is </span><b>Emma Illovsky</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who spent last season as one of three defensive specialists. She had 75 digs and was not a server, but even so, I’m predicting they’ll be looking to her to fill in the libero spot. If not for her 179 kills and 19 blocks, I’d think Old Tappan would look to junior </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="99849" first="Jola" last="Olutiola"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to take the libero jersey. She managed to rack up 51 digs and 12 aces last season and showcase her talent all around the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Senior </span><b>Carly Powell</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is likely to have a standout year. With 172 kills and 48 digs last season, she would be a tremendous first-choice outside to represent the program. By her side are middle blocker</span><b> [player_tooltip player_id="99807" first="Katie" last="Butler"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and outside </span><b>Sofia Colon</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Each with 39 and 48 kills respectively for last season, they have some room to grow for the spring. Butler in particular also stood out with 14 blocks and 14 aces, so there’s sure to be more to her game coming up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last returner worth noting is arguably the most important asset to this squad’s success. </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="99826" first="Chrissy" last="Chu"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will be in her final season as the setter for this squad. She finished last season with a whopping 352 assists, 82 digs, and 16 aces. Unlike some of the other top-finishing programs from 2019, Old Tappan uses several hitters to make up its offensive force. We can credit Chu’s masterful manipulation of the ball and having her finger on the pulse of the game for that success. Her ability to use all of her hitters as opposed to relying on one or two makes this team stand out amongst its competition.</span></p>