The Saint John Vianney girl’s volleyball team is rolling. Head coaches Jessica and Brian Gadaletta have prepared the girls to enter this 2024-2025 season as ranked #2 on the shore. The girls are gunning for a shore conference championship this year and possibly a state championship. Up in the middle, the human eraser, ranked #48 in the country for basketball, 6 ‘4 5 star athlete, Taylor Sofilkanich. Taylor started 286 kills and 133 blocks, breaking the SJV career block record, in the past 3 years for the Lancers. Junior outside hitter Genevieve Millet is another key player to watch for the lancer. Gen started 421 kills, 392 digs, and 98 aces over the past 3 years. Gen has a crafty swing that will always keep defenders on their toes. Up next for the lancer is little but mighty Division 1 libero committed to Seton Hall, Giavanna Sergi. Gia has recorded 596 digs and 93 aces in her past 3 years as a Lancer. Gia is one of the top liberos in the 2026 class in the tri-state. The player that is the glue of the team is Ayana Warren. This sophomore is a phenom. In just 2 years, she has totaled 979 assists, 247 digs, and 62 aces. Ayana was freshman of the year in the 2023-2024 season.
I interviewed head coach Jessica Gadaleta and asked her a few questions. The first question I asked her was, “How are you feeling about this team in the middle of the season so far?” Coach Gadaleta replied, “I am very proud of this team. They have shown a ton of growth. I believe they have shown a lot of resiliency. They have faced a lot of unique challenges this year. I think it has brought them closer and made them tougher.” The next question I asked her was, “What are some goals you have for the season?” Coach Gadaleta responded with, “We have some big games coming up, so obviously every time we play Donovan it is a rivalry game, so we have that circled on our calendar. I think we can compete with any team in the shore conference. We have been to the semis for the past 2 seasons, and it is time to take that next step. Obviously, in the state tournament, we have the privilege to compete in the toughest bracket in the state. When we are locked in and play together we can compete with anyone”
She plans to achieve these goals by, “We are going to continue to work hard. One of our team’s main themes is at the top of your game change your game, so we have many offensive weapons. So we are going to continue to encourage them to be creative and trust their training. We are going to continue to work hard like we always have. We are never shy about competing hard in practice and games. If we continue to communicate, we will be a tough team to stop.” Earlier in the season taking a tough loss to Southern Regional High School, SJV is expected to play them again in the Shore Conference final. I asked Coach Gadaleta about how she plans to bounce back from that loss and play them again. She replied, “Early in the season, it was a great game and encouraging, even though it was a loss. Every time we plan Southern we always push each other to the limits. We are a more mature and healthy team, the second time around, and looking forward to playing them again. With that being said, we have to get there first and will not take any team for granted.”
Saint John Vianney has had a thrilling ride in the Shore Conference Tournament so far. As expected, they will be playing Southern in the finals on October 29 at 6:15 p.m. Unfortunately, SJV is projected to lose to Southern tonight, but I don’t believe this to be true. I believe it will be anyone’s game, and I am excited to see who will be taking home the plaque.
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