The 2021-2022 Wayne Hills Girls volleyball season has come to an unfortunate end, leaving both players and parents devastated. Under coach Pedro Crespo, the girls went 3-7 in the Big North – Independence and totaled a 7-12 record for the season.

The season started with an opener against Passaic Tech, a very talented team with many weapons, including senior Victoria Mistretta who led Tech in both kills and assists. In a challenging battle, Hills lost 2-0, with the first game ending with a 19-25 loss, and the exact same result in the second game. Although a difficult game, there was hope for the future as junior twins, Arianna and Brielle Wood lead the team in kills, blocks, and assists. 

This losing came to a halt as the next three games resulted in 2-0 wins, over Lakeland, Kennedy, and Hawthorne. Junior Arianna Wood put impressive numbers up during these games, leading the team in both blocks and kills against all three opponents. The success soon stopped, as Wayne Hills lost their next four games, falling to a 3-4 record. 

The second half of their season did not grant much success either, going 3-7 in the month of October. The month started with a solid win over Passaic Charter in the first round of the county tournament, an important series of games for Hills. With another win in the second round of the county tournament, things were looking up. This motivation was suppressed by yet again, the next four games. Losing all four games by a deficit of 2-0, the girls began to worry about being at a 6-10 record this far into the season. With two regular season games and the state tournament ahead of them, the team needed to find a way to come out on top in the upcoming games. 

A second matchup against Lakeland granted the same success, coming on top by a margin of 2-0. With one more regular season game before the first round of the NJSIAA state government, Hills needed a win to gain momentum. Unfortunately, this did not come, losing 2-0 to West Milford a week prior to states. As Hills took the court against Mount Olive, they lost a close first game (20-25) but fell to the talented team in the end, losing the second game (25-14). 

The five Hills seniors were left disappointed in the outcome of their season, however, the heartfelt memories that were created through this season will never be forgotten. A decorated NJ girls volleyball player of the week and senior libero, Lexi Trachtenberg had a moving message when asked how she felt about the 2021-2022 season, saying, “Overall it was a really good season. We all had a lot of fun and were finally able to get somewhat back to normal.” When asked if she had any last words for her final season as a Wayne Hills captain, she responded, “I am so glad I got to be a captain to these girls and I am going to miss all of them when I’m gone.”