MAYS LANDING—After more than six months of waiting, Hammonton High School’s girls volleyball team was back on the court last week as the Blue Devils began just their second varsity season.
Hammonton introduced the sport at the varsity level in 2019, but the 2020 season was put on hold last September due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association responded to a ban on indoor sports last fall by creating a new “season 3,” which began last week and includes girls volleyball.
In its return to the court on March 16, Hammonton lost at Oakcrest 2-0. The host Falcons seized control of the match early, winning the opening game 25-8. The Blue Devils were able to regroup and play better in the second game, but eventually lost, 25-20.
The match was Hammonton’s first since October 24 of 2019, when the Devils wrapped up their inaugural season with a 2-1 loss at Camden Tech. Hammonton finished the 2019 season with a 3-14 record.
Later last week, Hammonton played at Atlantic County Institute of Technology and lost 2-0. The Red Hawks won the first game 25-13, then finished the sweep with a 25-17 win in the second game.
Tiffany Paretti had four kills, six digs, six assists and two service points in the loss for Hammonton, while Arwyn Russell added seven digs and five service points. Laura Hoffman finished the match with three kills, three digs and two service points, and Kelsey Reynolds had a kill, three digs and a service point.
Hammonton opened this week’s action at home against Our Lady of Mercy Academy on March 23, but that match ended too late for this edition. On March 25, the Blue Devils play at Cedar Creek at 4 p.m.