UNION COUNTY, NJ — Girls volleyball in Union County is as strong as any part of the state.
Cranford and Governor Livingston high schools proved to be among the state’s top Group 2 teams.
Roselle Park High School was one of the best Group 1 squads.
Westfield High School was among the upper echelon teams in the entire state, reaching the Group 4 final where it was edged by the No. 1 team in the state, Old Bridge High School.
The 2025 season was a solid one for several Union County schools.
2025 Union County Conference Girls Volleyball Division Winners
Watchung: Westfield (11-1)
Mountain: Cranford (12-0)
Valley: Roselle Park (9-1)
Cranford, coached by Nicole DePrimio, finished 19-4 overall and captured the Union County Conference’s middle Mountain Division with a perfect record of 12-0. The Cougars also played Westfield very tough in two matches, falling 2-1 in the regular season and then 2-1 again in the Union County Tournament semifinals.
Cranford met Governor Livingston in the Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals and was defeated 2-1.
The Cougars were sparked by the play of junior outside hitter Alexandra Chapman and senior libero Grace Ingraham. Chapman led the team in digs with 168 and kills with 105, while Ingraham produced a second-best 139 digs.
Governor Livingston, led by head coach Steve Hess, went 15-11 overall and 8-4 for third place in the UCC’s upper Watchung Division. The Highlanders were the only team to defeat Westfield in Watchung Division play, splitting with the champion Blue Devils.
Governor Livingston also reached the Central Jersey, Group 2 final where it was defeated at Holmdel High School, 3-2.
Lifting the Highlanders were junior libero Calista Chrysanthopoulos, with a team-leading 212 digs, and senior outside hitter Abby Kim, with a team-leading 367 kills and second-best 179 digs.
Roselle Park, guided by head coach Ray Candiloro, went 15-7 overall and won the UCC’s Valley Division at 9-1. The Panthers reached the Central Jersey, Group 1 semifinals, where they were defeated at Madison 3-0.
Candiloro was previously a highly successful head coach at Rahway High School and is the founder of Impact Volleyball Club, which originated in Rahway and is now located in Elizabeth.
Starring for Candiloro at Roselle Park this fall were senior libero Christina Barnat, with a team-leading 270 digs; senior setter Leah Scott, with a team-best 337 assists; and senior middle blocker Madison Wilkes, No. 1 on the squad with 106 kills.
Westfield, one of the top-ranked teams in all of New Jersey, finished 24-6 overall and won the Watchung Division at 11-1. The Blue Devils defeated archrival Union Catholic High School, 2-0, in the Thursday, Oct. 30, Union County Tournament championship match at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union. Westfield won the games, 25-14 and 25-20.
Westfield captured North 2, Group 4 and then reached the Saturday, Nov. 15, Group 4 final at Franklin High School, falling to the state’s top-ranked team, Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champion Old Bridge, 3-2.
Union Catholic produced a 20-9 season that saw it advance to the South Jersey, Non-Public A semifinals.
All-Union County Conference 2025 Girls Volleyball selections
as chosen by Union County coaches
Watchung Division
Alyssa Kenal, middle blocker, senior, Union Catholic
Alex Landazabal, setter, senior, Union Catholic
Ava Gaspard, outside hitter, senior, Westfield
Emelia Dangler, setter, senior, Westfield
Audey Hu, libero, senior, Westfield
Abby Kim, outside hitter, senior, Governor Livingston
Maya Hardy, middle blocker, senior, Kent Place
Maddie Byrne, outside hitter, senior, Scotch Plains–Fanwood
Mackenna Welsh, setter, senior, Summit
Karla Duarte, outside hitter, senior, Elizabeth
Honorable Mention
Sabrina Capati, setter, junior, Union Catholic
Sienna Mabee, outside hitter, junior, Union Catholic
Vicki Morey, outside hitter, senior, Westfield
Annelise Bonn, middle blocker, junior, Westfield
Sierra Isbirian, setter, junior, Governor Livingston
Calista Chrysanthopoulus, libero, junior, Governor Livingston
Savera Rigby, setter, senior, Kent Place
Pranavi Raina, outside hitter, junior, Kent Place
Isabelle Stewart, setter, junior, Scotch Plains–Fanwood
Diane Jane Ngumah, middle blocker, senior, Scotch Plains–Fanwood
Claire Jesionowski, outside hitter, sophomore, Scotch Plains–Fanwood
Nadia Moghal, setter, junior, Summit
Isabella Morales, outside hitter-setter, junior, Elizabeth
Raquel Bento, middle blocker, senior, Elizabeth
Mountain Division
Alexandra Chapman, outside hitter, junior, Cranford
Emma Gutierrez, outside hitter, junior, Cranford
Emma Andre, setter, sophomore, Cranford
Ellie Liu, outside hitter, senior, New Providence
Katherine Heitmann, outside hitter, senior, New Providence
Jasmine Johnson, setter, senior, Rahway
Alexys Beline, setter, senior, Union
Mya Zayas, libero, senior, Linden
Ella Phelps, outside hitter, senior, Oak Knoll
Sari Racusin, outside hitter, senior, Jonathan Dayton
Honorable Mention
Annabella Guidice, outside hitter, junior, Cranford
Zornitsa Roussenoy, middle blocker, junior, Cranford
Elisabeth Pazinki, setter, sophomore, New Providence
Gloria Garay, outside hitter, senior, Rahway
Nyasia Wynn, middle blocker, senior, Rahway
Isabella Motto Fuentes, libero, sophomore, Union
Nevaeh Mendez, middle blocker, junior, Union
Kira Woods, middle blocker, junior, Linden
Lenla Gonzalez, outside hitter, senior, Linden
Bailey Walters, setter, senior, Oak Knoll
Amelia Flood, outside hitter, senior, Oak Knoll
Jocelyn Peralta, libero, senior, Jonathan Dayton
Alexis Valladares, outside hitter, senior, Jonathan Dayton
Valley Division
Leah Scott, setter, senior, Roselle Park
Madison Wilkes, middle blocker, senior, Roselle Park
Christine Barnat, libero, senior, Roselle Park
Grace Closter, outside hitter, senior, Arthur L. Johnson
Cydney Eaddy, outside hitter, senior, Roselle Catholic
Jamalia Smallwood, setter, senior, Roselle Catholic
Angely Hernandez, outside hitter, senior, Plainfield
Sara Orjuela, opposite junior, Hillside
Lena Tavarez, libero, senior, Roselle
Honorable Mention
Gianna Qiu, setter, senior, Roselle Park
Emmy Gregoire, outside hitter, sophomore, Roselle Park
Olivia Castro, outside hitter, senior, Arthur L. Johnson
Natalia Arenas, libero, senior, Arthur L. Johnson
Shiloh Howell, setter, sophomore, Roselle Catholic
Alanah Mitchell, middle blocker, senior, Roselle Catholic
Ledys Canahui, libero, junior, Plainfield
Alyson Palan, setter, senior, Plainfield
Kayla Sumner, outside hitter, junior, Hillside
Miahna Zelaya, setter, senior, Hillside
Kamora Winston, setter, senior, Roselle
Jovita Gedeon, outside hitter, senior, Roselle
