A celebration of the holiday season was experienced on the volleyball court when Bridgewater-Raritan High School was joined by three other teams on a festive day.
The event was the Somerset County Educational Services Commission's Second Annual Unified Volleyball Tournament, held on Friday, December 19.
The Somerset County Educational Services Commission (SCESC), located in Bridgewater, brought together volleyball teams from Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough High School, Somerville High School, and the host school's team.
This warm-hearted affair was organized and coordinated by Brett Stibitz, a teacher at the SCESC who also serves as an assistant on the Bridgewater-Raritan High School football coaching staff.
Coach Stibitz is a member of Head Coach DJ Catalano’s highly respected crew, who all helped guide Bridgewater-Raritan to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state championship this fall, the program’s first state sectional football playoff title.
A highly successful coach on the football field also served as an admirable host to a volleyball tournament– and the after-game festivities, too.
Each volleyball team competed against one another in a round-robin format. The two teams with the best records advanced to the championship match, while the remaining squads competed for third place.
Bridgewater-Raritan and Hillsborough won to reach the championship showdown, which was an intense, back-and-forth matchup. In a thrilling finish, Hillsborough edged Bridgewater-Raritan by a narrow score of 22–20. In the third-place game, the SCESC team defeated Somerville, 21-14.
Bridgewater-Raritan's team consisted of students who attend Special Education classes and students who are involved in the Physical Education Department's Peer Partners Program.
The team was directed by Bridgewater-Raritan staff members—Dr. Sandra Lynch, the Transition Coordinator for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, Special Services Teacher Kyle Murphy and Teacher Assistants Kristin Winchock and Karen Aversa.
Behind every successful adventure comes an assortment of key contributors.
Coach Stibitz extended his thanks to these individuals.
“The success of the tournament was made possible through the generous support of local businesses. Following the games, students enjoyed a fantastic lunch, 100 percent donated by the Stage House Restaurant of Somerset, courtesy of owner Donald Erickson. Each team also proudly wore school-colored T-shirts donated by Ke Dao, owner of Rivertan Financial Group. Then, finally, the cupcakes and cookies were discounted from Manville Walmart.”
Coach Stibitz continued to express his gratitude and shared the fun activities of the day.
“Adding to the excitement, the Rutgers Scarlet Knight made a surprise appearance during the games to cheer on the athletes. To top off the day, Santa Claus himself arrived to hand out Christmas gifts generously donated by the Bridgewater PBA and Bridgewater Costco.”
“Many would agree that this year’s event was even bigger and better than last year. While the competition was fierce, what truly stood out were the smiles, the interactions among students, and the overwhelming sense of joy shared by students, staff, coaches, and teachers from across Somerset County,” Coach Stibitz stated.
The final accolades go to the passionate Coach Stibitz.
“This spirit of unity and inclusion was exactly what was envisioned when I created the tournament—and it was, without question, priceless.”