Livingston boys volleyball wins first NJG4 title since 2013 with win at Elizabeth

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In a battle between two of the top North Jersey boys volleyball teams, it was Livingston who came out on top.

Livingston took down top-seeded Elizabeth in the North Jersey, Group 4 final, 2-1, at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth.

For the Lancers, this is its first sectional title since 2013.

“It’s great,” said Duncan Sturt, who led Livingston with 30 assists in the win over Elizabeth.

”Coach [Dan Kim] always said we can be one of two Livingston teams to ever win a [sectional title]. Our season was kind of rough in the beginning, and we lost in the finals for the county tournament, but with those hardships, we kept going. This was our main goal and I’m happy with how far we came."

Livingston started the season 3-3 before winning five of its next six games to get it back over the .500 mark.

Around the beginning of May, Livingston dropped four of six games, including the Essex County Tournament final against Millburn.

It won three of its final five games to secure the second-seed in the North Jersey, Group 4 Tournament. The Lancers have been rolling through the tournament to ultimately face one of its toughest opponent of the season in Elizabeth.

“Our season has been a little up and down,” Livingston head coach Dan Kim said. “We have been hurt here and there, but we are finally healthy which is always good. We’ve had a tough schedule for the most part in conference, but we are looking forward to a great final round.”

For Elizabeth, the boys volleyball team has progressively improved over the past few season, going from 7-9 in 2023 to 23-4 this season.

Elizabeth head coach Cesar Vega said the success has come from the hard work and chemistry the team has been putting in.

“It is a team mainly made up of sophomores and seniors so we do have very good leadership from seniors and we have sophomores who are good listeners,” Vega said. " They have got a desire to win and work very hard. Together they make up a team with very good chemistry."

Most of the seniors on the team have been starting for Elizabeth for the past three season. Vega said that has helped the seniors develop their leadership skills.

“They have done a very good job with leading the younger players on the team,” Vega said. “It’s all from their will, power and desire to win.”

In the first set, Elizabeth led 9-5 before Livingston rallied back to take a 14-12 lead thanks to some stellar kills and spikes at the net. Elizabeth called a time out to reconvene before getting back to within one point of tying the set.

Livingston, led by Sturt and Arya Deshmukh, kept the Lancers in the lead to take the first set, 25-22.

In the second set, it was Livingston who held an early lead at 11-7 before Elizabeth stormed back to tie the set, 17-17 to lead to a Livingston time out.

Elizabeth took the second set, 26-24, thanks to brilliant kills from Leo Fontaine and Maurice Haskins, as well as some timely spikes from Mateo Jaramillo.

It came down to the third and final set to decide the Group 4 champion and Elizabeth still had its foot on the gas, taking a 9-5 lead. Fontaine and Haskins spearheaded the aggressive start while Gabriel Perreira also had some impressive kills.

Livingston turned the tables from that point on, outscoring Elizabeth 9-3 to take a 14-12 advantage that forced an Elizabeth time out.

Livingston kept the attack going and forced another Elizabeth time out only a few points later. Livingston pressed on and took the win in the third set, 25-18.

“[Coach Kim] always preaches discipline as much as possible and no matter where we are, whoever we are playing, we have to play our game and stay consistent,” Sturt said. “Nobody stayed down and everybody tried to lift each other up. I feel like that’s why we won on top of our discipline.”

Sturt said it was the team’s first time being in a gym like the Dunn Center. He pointed out that the passing and the serves from Livingston were on point.

It was the net play for Livingston that had to be strong in the face of Elizabeth‘s net players.

“[Elizabeth] is a very vertical team. Fontaine is a great player,” he said. “We kept our blocks inside and we stayed disciplined. Our form of defense is a little old-fashioned, but it was woking in this game.”

Kim recognized the work the team has put in the season and in years past. He pointed out Sturt as the one leading the charge this season.

“He is as consistent as he can be,” Kim said. “He been playing with us for about two-and-a-half years now and he ready to go and had a very nice career.”

The next step for Livingston is the Group 4 Tournament with its next opponent being Old Bridge, who defeated Monroe, 2-1, in the South Jersey, Group 4 Tournament.

“We’re going to watch a lot of film,” Sturt said. “I know a few boys who are on that team so I will talk to them a little bit, I guess, but we’ll see. As coach puts it, ‘we’ve won and we’re playin with our winnings now.’ We have never been here before so might as well have some fun and try to get it done.”

Anthony Gabbianelli can be reached at agabbianelli@njadvancemedia.com .

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