Joley Giordano

Articles of Joley Giordano

Old Tappan’s Joley Giordano Named One of New Jersey’s Top Juniors

Oct 16, 2025

Old Tappan setter Joley Giordano was recognized among New Jersey’s top junior volleyball players for the 2025 season, earning second place in NJ Advance Media’s statewide poll. Giordano received 26.49% of the vote, finishing behind Demarest libero Kara Kim and ahead of Immaculate Heart’s Emma Fowler. The honor reflects her standout play as the core of Old Tappan’s offense and one of the most reliable all-around contributors in Bergen County. Across 32 sets, Giordano recorded 269 assists, 73 digs, 26 kills, and 18 aces, showcasing her versatility as both a playmaker and defender. She directed Old Tappan’s attack with poise, consistently creating scoring chances for her hitters while maintaining a strong presence in the back row. Her top performances came in key matchups against county rivals. She notched 38 assists and 10 digs against Glen Rock, 24 assists and 9 digs in a win over Demarest, and 5 aces versus Indian Hills. Giordano’s consistency, leadership, and impact on both ends of the court made her a clear choice among voters and solidified her standing as one of the state’s most complete juniors heading into the postseason.

Old Tappan Celebrated Senior Night with a Win

Oct 14, 2025

Old Tappan made Senior Night one to remember, rolling past Indian Hills 25-2, 25-8 to move to 11-3 on the season. The Golden Knights honored their four seniors with a complete team performance that showed depth, discipline, and energy from start to finish. Setter Joley Giordano led the attack with 14 assists, 2 kills, 2 digs, and 5 aces, running an efficient offense that kept Indian Hills off balance. Eva Curko was the top scorer with 9 kills and 2 aces, while Desi Malafis added 6 aces, 3 digs, and a kill. Julia Whaley and Nadine Whaley combined for 7 kills and 3 blocks at the net, setting the tone early with dominant front-row play. Adriana Bryan contributed strong defense and serve receive with 4 digs, 2 aces, and an assist. Gabriela Paltag chipped in 2 kills and a block, and Bianca Benasillo added 3 kills to round out a balanced front line. Maya Fernandez and Alexa Caunedo helped control the second set with key assists and energy off the bench, while Gloria Jung and Kate Finn each added an ace in limited action. Phoebe Malady and McKenna Perez provided steady defensive support throughout the match. Indian Hills (2-11) was led by Anna Baryla, Anna Tompetrini, and Mackenzie Cipriani, who each recorded 2 kills. Elizabeth Silletti paced the defense with 4 digs and 2 assists, while Gabby LiButti tallied 3 assists. Old Tappan’s 17 total aces and balanced execution defined the match, giving the seniors a perfect sendoff on their home court. The Golden Knights will look to carry that same momentum into the final stretch of the regular season.

Old Tappan advances with win over Glen Rock

Oct 12, 2025

OLD TAPPAN -- The Golden Knights shook off a sub-par first set to best Glen Rock, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-14) in the Bergen County Women's Coaches Association Round of 16 volleyball tournament on Saturday.The Panthers faced the team that had won the county and state tournaments while going undefeated in 2024. But Glen Rock was great in the first set, matching the Golden Knights point for point.The score was tied on 10 occasions with neither team leading by more than 4 points at any time. Glen Rock took its first lead of the game, 9-8, with a 4-0 run to erase an 8-5 lead.Panthers senior outside hitter Teresa Sapienza began the comeback by smacking a kill to give the serve back to the Panthers and junior libero Erin Nerona followed with a service ace. When senior middle blocker Avery Schwartz followed with a successful block Glen Rock tied the score 8-all. An unsuccessful block by Old Tappan gave the Panthers their first lead of the match and when the Golden Knights made an attack error and Nerona tallied a second ace, Glen Rock had an 11-8 lead, which prompted Old Tappan to call a timeout.When play resumed another attack error by the Knights increased the Panthers lead but OT junior setter Joley Giordano halted the rally with a quick kill. The teams traded points with a kill by Schwartz, who led Glen Rock with 9 kills in the match, and a kill by Knights sophomore middle blocker Nadine Whaley, who finished with 6 kills and 3 blocks for Old Tappan.Golden Knights senior libero, Adriana Bryan, stepped to the service line and reeled off 6 straight service winners to give OT a 16-14 lead. During Bryan's run Whaley contributed 2 kills and a block, sophomore outside hitter Phoebe Malady belted a kill and senior opposite hitter Eva Curko scored with a blocked shot along the way. But Schwartz came through for the Panthers, ending the Knights run with a kill. From there the teams traded points, and the score was tied six times."They are a really good defensive team," Curko said of the Panthers. "They were diving after every ball and what we had to adjust to was looking for open spots on the court and going out of our comfort zone to find those spots.""Their libero, (Nerona,) picked up a lot," added Bryan. "Her defense on hard swings and tips - she was doing great things out there - and it was a credit to her. During timeouts we said, 'stay away from her.' Their defense did a great job."Glen Rock took a 23-22 lead but Knights junior outside hitter Bianca Benasillo struck a well-placed kill to earn a side-out and tie the game one last time. It was Bryan's turn to serve and she did not disappoint. Neither did Curko, who blasted a kill to give Old Tappan a set point and banged home another kill for the 25-23 win."I work a lot on my service," said Bryan. "I take a lot of pride in it. Last year it was mainly my job just getting back there and serving. I'm working on consecutively serving tough and in. Sometimes I throw an easy one in there to gain confidence.Today we were up by a lot so I really went for it.""No matter who it is [scoring]," said Curko, "those exciting kills and points really get the whole team excited. My motivation is to get the next point for my team and help the team move forward any way I can. Getting those high energy points is something that is very important to us and it helps us get our energy higher and more motivated."That motivation carried into the second set. Schwartz had just given Glen Rock a 5-3 lead when Knights senior outside hitter Julia Whaley scored 4 straight points to give Old Tappan the lead for good. First, she hammered a kill, then she tallied with a perfect placement, scored on a block and pounded the ball for a 7-5 lead. After the Panthers committed an attack error Julia Whaley walloped another winner to compel Glen Rock to call timeout.Later, Julia Whaley smacked a kill to put the Knights up 11-7 and then she stepped to the service line. Seven service winners later Old Tappan led, 18-7 and they coasted to the 25-13 win to go up 2-0 in the match."It's very nice for our setter Joley (Giordano) to have so many options," said Curko, who finished with 9 kills, 9 digs, 1 assist and a service ace. "Each and every hitter did a great job of mixing up their shots today and going out and swinging hard because we know we can put the ball away. We did a good job of getting that confidence. Having all our hitters available and having so many options to set is such a good thing for Joley to have. As a setter you're confident that no matter who you set it to they have the confidence in themselves to put the ball away.""Joley was connecting with them and we're starting to build more confidence," Old Tappan coach Melissa Landeck said. "We played pretty well today and we have even more in us. We've battled injuries. We're still not 100 percent but we're a lot closer than we've been in a long time. We haven't scratched the surface yet. We're still a work in progress to be the best we can possibly be in 2025. It takes time."Old Tappan grabbed a 4-3 lead early in the third set and never trailed again. Julia Whaley belted 7 of her game high 17 kills, including the match point, in that third set."Glen Rock is a good team," said Landeck. "There's a reason why their record is what it is. They're well-coached, they're aggressive offensively. I thought they served well and they executed in all facets of the game. We knew today was going to be a challenge so I'm just proud of the girls and the way they responded and took the initial threat and were able to punch back.""We've been making a lot of adjustments [on defense,]" said Bryan. "[Coach] Landeck has been switching it up for us. So we switched the libero jersey (from junior Desi Malafis to Bryan). We have a lot of confidence in each other so it wasn't a huge adjustment for us because we always connect with each other."Six different Old Tappan players contributed points in the match. Benasillo finished with 10 kills and a block, Bryan had 9 digs, Malafis added 7 digs and Giordano had 3 kills, 5 digs and distributed an impressive 38 assists."It's really nice," said Bryan. "As a defender knowing we have 5 or 6 people who can put the ball away and we have a very deep bench - I can trust any one of them to come in and do something with the ball to get a kill. Everybody is starting to play smart. I know they're not always going to hammer the ball. They all have nice court vision. It's a blessing to have all of that."Glen Rock did a great job on defense, as Nerona scooped 14 digs and distributed 2 assists. Junior defensive specialist Rachel Park had 10 digs and 3 assists. Senior setter Ella Torsiello dished 19 assists and scooped 5 digs. Sapienza and senior Yuka Bertram each had 4 kills and combined for 13 digs. Senior Audrey Kennedy had 5 kills, 1 block and 7 digs."I think this gave the whole team, including me, a lot of confidence," said Bryan. "Glen Rock was playing great. They have good hitters. Teams are going to come after us because we are trying to defend something. This game gave us a lot of confidence and we all had a lot of fun competing today.""This is our first county game," Curko said, "and it's normal to have a few first game jitters in our first set and we kind of showed that on our serve-receive, our defense and our hitting. I think we did a really good job of cleaning it up in the second and third sets. Our trust really improved and that comes down to every day in practice, having each other's backs in high pressure moments. I think that really paid off in this game."

Old Tappan is at it again

Sep 13, 2025

HILLSDALE - Old Tappan swept rival Pascack Valley in straight sets (25-17, 25-15) in an early season battle of the unbeatens Friday night. The win was Old Tappan’s 29th in a row, after last season’s 25-0 campaign.“We’ve turned the page,” Old Tappan coach Melissa Landeck said of the team’s 4-0 start. “Every year is a different year. We’re proud of last year’s accomplishments obviously but this is the time for 2025 and see what we can do this year. We’re about staying in the moment, what’s in front of us, what we have to prepare for, taking it one game at a time. Not looking too far ahead and certainly not resting by looking back.” The Golden Knights never trailed in the first set, and led by as many as 10, 17-7, after back-to-back kills by the Whaley sisters, senior Julia and sophomore Nadine, who finished with 3 kills and 1 block. Julia Whaley led all scorers with 11 kills in the match. She said she is prepared to lead this year’s team. “I’m looking forward to it a lot,” she said, “especially after coming off such an incredible season. It’s not going to be easy - we have a big target on our back - but being a senior I need to lead the team and it’s going to be really exciting. I’ve been playing volleyball for a long time so I just have to go out there and do what I know I can do. Being confident helps a lot. We’ve been working. We have a bunch of new people so we’re having to trust new players. With all the new rotations we’re getting used to expecting the unexpected.”Old Tappan got scoring from five different players which helped keep the Panthers defense off balance. Julia Whaley praised junior setter Joley Giordano for finding the right people to set.“Joley is doing a great job of keeping the other teams on their toes,” Julia Whaley said. “Not knowing who we are going to set [is key] because if you’re setting the same person the other team can set up and cheat. Joley is doing a great job of mixing it up and it helps our team a lot.”“I think it’s good that Julia switched to outside from middle - it’s been a great adjustment,” said Giordano. “Lexi (Alexa Caunedo) is a sophomore and she’s learning. Gaby [Paltag] is a senior and she’s always available, calling loudly. Nadine [Whaley] is always available too. They’re all strong hitters and it’s crazy how they have all contributed because we’ve just started playing together two weeks ago.”Valley took its only lead in the match, 4-3, in the second set on a service ace by senior setter Celia Torres. She added 5 digs and distributed 10 assists. Later in the set Knights junior libero Desi Malafis reeled off 6 consecutive service winners, including 3 aces to improve Old Tappan’s advantage from 16-11 to 22-11.“I always take a deep breath before I serve,” Malafis said. “I don't think I could get it over without taking a deep breath. I make sure I’m behind the line. I also have motivation when people are watching me get it over and in. Coach gives us numbers of where to serve it so I just follow that.”A thunderous kill by Julia Whaley halted a 4-2 rally by the Panthers, ending the second set and the match.“Julia can really put it down,” Malafis said. “It starts from the back row giving us a nice free ball. Our middles always come out and they are strong. I feel like we’re still trying to find our chemistry out there but this is one of the best games we’ve played so far. We’re all starting to trust each other. Coming off a 25-0 season we lost some pretty good players but I feel like we’re still as good.”Valley suffered its first loss to fall to 2-1, but they got contributions from several players. Senior libero Maddy Romero scooped 11 digs, sophomore outside hitter Gianna Siller had a team-high 5 kills and added 3 digs and senior outside hitter/middle Riley Hirsch contributed 2 kills and 6 digs.Landeck had high praise for Paltag (5 kills) and senior defensive specialist Adrianna Bryan (6 digs, 1 ace), saying, “they both had very good games today.”“We have 15 players that show up to practice every day and work hard,” said Landeck. “We have to figure out who we are in different aspects and roles. We’re still a work in progress, an unfinished product. We’re just taking it one day at a time and trying to be a little bit better than we were the day before. We’re keeping it that simple. I think today we had a strong showing defensively, blocking, serving. We were pretty good today.”“Today was the best we’ve ever played,” added Giordano, who had a great match, dishing 17 assists, scooping 3 digs, blocking a shot and adding a kill. “Even in practice we haven’t played this well. Everyone’s connecting together.”

Old Tappan Rolls Past Pascack Valley for 4th Straight Win

Sep 12, 2025

Old Tappan improved to 4-0 with a straight-set victory over Pascack Valley on Friday afternoon, winning 25-17, 25-15.Julia Whaley powered the Golden Knights with 11 kills and 2 blocks, while her sister Nadine added 4 kills and 3 blocks. Setter Joley Giordano controlled the offense with 17 assists and 5 digs. Gabriela Paltag chipped in 5 kills and a block, and Desi Malafis anchored the defense with 8 digs and 3 aces.For Pascack Valley, Gianna Siller led the attack with 5 kills. Alexa Gade added 3 kills, 1 block, and 1 ace, while setter Celia Torres tallied 10 assists and 5 digs. Libero Maddy Romero kept the defense steady with a match-high 11 digs.Old Tappan’s balanced attack and strong serving set the tone early, keeping control throughout both sets to secure the 2-0 sweep.Old Tappan (4-0)Julia Whaley: 11 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs Nadine Whaley: 4 kills, 3 blocks Joley Giordano: 17 assists, 5 digs, 1 block Gabriela Paltag: 5 kills, 1 block Desi Malafis: 8 digs, 3 aces Adriana Bryan: 6 digs, 1 kill, 1 ace Maya Fernandez: 2 assists, 2 digs, 1 ace Alexa Caunedo: 2 kills Pascack Valley (2-1) Gianna Siller: 5 kills, 3 digs Alexa Gade: 3 kills, 1 block, 1 ace Celia Torres: 10 assists, 5 digs, 1 ace Riley Hirsch: 6 digs, 2 kills Addison Demyen: 2 kills, 2 blocks Maddy Romero: 11 digs, 1 assist Old Tappan’s offense ran through the Whaley sisters, who combined for 15 kills and 5 blocks. Setter Joley Giordano directed the attack with 17 assists and added strong defense with 5 digs. Desi Malafis gave the Knights a spark from the service line, finishing with 3 aces.

Girls volleyball Top 20: Week 1 Old Tappan remains in the 5th Spot

Sep 11, 2025

5-Old Tappan (3-0)Last week: No. 5The Golden Knights are riding a state-best 28-match winning streak. This season, they took wins over Morristown, Ridgewood, and Bergenfield in the opening week.

Whaley, Giordano Lead Old Tappan Over Bergenfield

Sep 09, 2025

Old Tappan stayed unbeaten with a straight-set win over Bergenfield on Tuesday, 25-19, 25-8. The Golden Knights improved to 3-0 behind a balanced effort led by Julia Whaley with 8 kills, 9 digs, and 3 aces. Alexa Caunedo added 8 kills while Joley Giordano handed out 18 assists and picked up 7 digs. Bergenfield, now 1-3, was paced by Geraldine Miano with 3 kills and Jill Ramos with 8 assists. Despite a strong opening push, the Bears struggled to match Old Tappan’s serving and defense in the second set. With the win, Old Tappan continued its early-season momentum and has yet to drop a set this fall.Match Recap: Old Tappan vs. BergenfieldDate: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 Final Score: Old Tappan 2, Bergenfield 0Old Tappan kept its perfect start to the season alive. Game HighlightsFirst Set: Bergenfield stayed competitive early but Old Tappan’s consistent hitting pushed them ahead, closing it 25-19. Second Set: Old Tappan dominated with strong serving runs and defense, overwhelming Bergenfield 25-8. Old Tappan Standouts Julia Whaley: 8 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces. Alexa Caunedo: 8 kills. Joley Giordano: 18 assists, 7 digs. Desi Malafis: 10 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace. Team Total: 18 kills, 27 digs, 25 assists, 6 aces. Bergenfield LeadersGeraldine Miano: 3 kills. Paityn Salvaggio & Angehlina Nacer: 6 digs each. Jill Ramos: 8 assists. Old Tappan’s balance of offense and defense once again set the tone, as they extended their undefeated run with another convincing win.

Old Tappan Sweeps Ridgewood to Stay Perfect

Sep 08, 2025

Old Tappan kept its undefeated start alive with a straight-sets win over Ridgewood on Monday night, taking the match 25-20, 25-23. Senior hitter Julia Whaley powered the Golden Knights with 11 kills, 10 digs, and two aces, while setter Joley Giordano paced the offense with 18 assists and six digs. Libero Desi Malafis anchored the defense with 20 digs, and middle Gabriela Paltag chipped in four kills and four blocks at the net. Ridgewood pushed back in the second set behind seven kills from Mia Luther and six from Jolie Wolcott, but Old Tappan closed strong to finish the sweep. Setter Parker Langheim added 16 assists for the Maroons, who fell to 0-2. The victory moved Old Tappan to 2-0 on the season, continuing its strong early run in league play.Here’s a full recap of Old Tappan vs Ridgewood on Monday, September 8, 2025: Final Score Old Tappan 2, Ridgewood 0 Set 1: Old Tappan 25, Ridgewood 20 Set 2: Old Tappan 25, Ridgewood 23 Old Tappan stays perfect at 2-0. Match Highlights Old Tappan controlled the match early, taking the first set 25-20. Ridgewood fought hard in the second set, keeping it tight to 25-23, but Old Tappan closed strong to sweep. Serving was key for Old Tappan, finishing with 5 aces compared to Ridgewood’s 2. Old Tappan’s defense and setting balance made the difference, with 41 digs and 22 assists. Old Tappan StandoutsJulia Whaley: Team-high 11 kills, plus 10 digs and 2 aces. Joley Giordano: Steady play with 18 assists, 6 digs, and an ace running the offense. Desi Malafis: Anchored the defense with 20 digs. Gabriela Paltag: Strong at the net with 4 kills and 4 blocks. Nadine Whaley: Added 4 kills and a block. Ridgewood LeadersMia Luther: Team-best 7 kills, 9 digs, and a block. Jolie Wolcott: Contributed 6 kills and a block. Saige Rogers: Solid all-around with 12 digs, 2 kills, and an assist. Parker Langheim: Ran the offense with 16 assists and added 5 digs. TakeawayOld Tappan’s depth and ability to close out tight sets kept their unbeaten streak alive. Ridgewood showed resilience in set two but couldn’t match Old Tappan’s defensive coverage and clutch hitting.

Girls volleyball Top 20 recap, Sept. 5: Old Tappan wins 1st match,

Sep 06, 2025

Old Tappan Stays Perfect With Sweep of Morristown Old Tappan starts the 2025 volleyball season with a straight-set win over Morristown on Friday evening, taking the match 25-13, 25-21. The Golden Knights controlled the first set with strong hitting from Julia Whaley, who led the team with 7 kills and added 8 digs. Alexa Caunedo chipped in 6 kills, while Gabriela Paltag added 3 kills and 2 blocks. On defense, Desi Malafis posted a team-high 9 digs, and Nadine Whaley contributed 2 blocks at the net. Setter Joley Giordano directed the offense with 13 assists and added 5 digs and 1 ace. The Knights were also sharp at the service line, with Malafis, Maya Fernandez, and Kate Finn combining for 7 of the team’s 8 aces. Morristown (1-4) battled in the second set, led by Nawel Ibazatene Lefebvre (4 kills), Vivian Kim (7 digs, 2 aces), and Dajla Mancelli (10 digs). Despite a late push, the Colonials fell short against Old Tappan’s balanced attack and steady defense. With the win, Old Tappan remains unbeaten since 2024, while Morristown looks to regroup heading into its next matchup.

Girls volleyball preseason Top 20: Old Tappan opens season ranked 5th

Sep 02, 2025

Volleyball fans, it is time to get excited for the 2025 season.The regular season is here as programs gear up for another campaign of wins, losses, celebration, and heartbreak.Below, have a look at the preseason Top 20 ranking - and be sure to check in weekly as the ranking will update as the fall season progresses.2025 Girls Volleyball Preseason Top 20 Ranking1-Princeton2024 record: 28-12024 resume: Championships in Group 3, CJG3, BCSL2024 final ranking: No. 12-Williamstown2024 record: 32-12024 resume: Championships in Group 4, SJG4, Tri-County2024 final ranking: No. 23-Paul VI2024 record: 22-32024 resume: SJ Non-Public A runner-up2024 final ranking: No. 64-Old Bridge2024 record: 27-62024 resume: Championships in CJG4, GMC2024 final ranking: No. 95-Old Tappan2024 record: 25-02024 resume: Championships in Group 2, N1G2, Bergen County2024 final ranking: No. 3

Old Tappan's Joley Giordano Claims First Place in Discus at Big North Championships

May 02, 2025

Giordano Claims First Place in Discus at Big North Championships On May 2, 2025, at the Big North Championships held at Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Joley Giordano of Old Tappan High School secured first place in the discus throw for the National Division. This victory highlights her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. Giordano's performance not only earned her the top spot but also contributed significantly to Old Tappan's overall success in the meet. Her achievement reflects the strength of the school's track and field program and sets a high standard. As the season progresses, Giordano's accomplishment positions her as a formidable competitor in upcoming regional and state-level competitions.

Old Tappan Throws wins Discus Relay

Apr 11, 2025

Joley Giordano, Gianna DeMarco, and Alivia Badurina teamed up to win Group B in the discus relay at the Bergen County Relays held at River Dell High School. The trio from Old Tappan High School delivered an outstanding performance, recording the second-highest girls’ relay total across all of Bergen County.

Old Tappan can’t finish to keep the season alive

Mar 01, 2025

Inside the Morris Knolls girls basketball locker room hangs a poster with a photo of the team and a quote on the poster from University of Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.“Defend like it’s game point all game long,” is what the quote from Sampson says on the poster.Morris Knolls sees the poster each time it walks into the locker room. Defense is what Morris Knolls head coach Rob Moore wanted his team’s identity to be this season, and defense was going to determine the outcome of Saturday’s matchup against Old Tappan.Morris Knolls needed one more stop with just 3.4 seconds remaining and up by one point to make history. Old Tappan had the ball on its own baseline, looking to win the game.And as it’s been all season long, defense won Morris Knolls the game.Second-seeded Morris Knolls staged a fourth-quarter rally and then got a stop on the game’s final possession to beat seventh-seeded Old Tappan, 51-50 in overtime, in the North 1, Group 3 NJSIAA state tournament quarterfinals.With the win, Morris Knolls (22-5) advances to a sectional semifinal for the first time since 2004 and will host third-seeded and two-time defending sectional champion Teaneck on Tuesday. Old Tappen went 10-16 at the free throw line. The misses really hurt Old Tappan down the stretch.

Old Tappan Basketball Final Stats

Mar 01, 2025

Old Tappan Girls Basketball team went 18-9 for the season. With most of the starters returning, 2025/26 looks promising.

No. 18 Demarest outlasts Old Tappan in overtime

Feb 11, 2025

Photo by Steve HocksteinGabriella Mittelman led all scorers with 25 points as Demarest, No. 18 in the NJ.com Top 20, outlasted Old Tappan, 64-62, in overtime, in Demarest.2/11 – 4:15 PM Girls BasketballFinalOld Tappan62Demarest64Complete Box Score »Angie Tirado scored 21 points and Deana Finkelstein had 12 for Demarest (18-2), which avenged at a 59-51 loss at Old Tappan on Jan. 16.Alivia Badurina and Alexa Caunedo scored 15 points apiece for Old Tappan (13-6).Photo Link

Old Tappan outlast Ramapo in classic matchup

Feb 09, 2025

DEMAREST — Taking over as the No. 1 option on a team that is a perennial powerhouse, one that has won Group 3 state championships twice in the last decade, takes a lot of preparation in all aspects of the game. Junior Sienna Drullinsky has been putting in the hours to become that for Northern Valley/Old Tappan and she is blossoming into the role, even off the court.After scoring 12 of her team-high 17 points in the second half and using her length and positioning to affect the game on the defensive end in a 48-44 win over old rival Ramapo in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament on Saturday at Northern Valley/Demarest High School, she stood in front of the microphones in the postgame and showed off how far she has come in that arena, too.She talked about how her role has increased this season and how she has gotten to the point to where she can talk about how her role has increased while a stranger holds a recorder close her face.“The Giordano girls [Layla and Maya graduated] and they scored most of our points last year. They are a lot to replace and a lot of people probably didn’t think we were going to win. But we showed up and did really good,” said Drullinsky, who has obviously upped her media game. “I practice. I have practiced my interviews because I get so nervous talking to people. I told my mom about it and sometimes she just throws me questions.”There were a lot of questions for Old Tappan this year with the graduation losses, but that is high school sports. While the “Survive & Advance” cliché gets thrown around so much during these tournament times, at NVOT it is really, “Thrive & Replace.” So many good players have come and gone through program in the time that it has been headed by Brian J. Dunn, who has over 500 career victories, it would figure that a down season would have to be mixed in every now and again.It never seems to happen and the Golden Knights just keep on passing the torch from one group to the next. Drullinsky’s rise this season is a case in point.“She is like all of our kids. She is a work in progress and she is getting used to what she can do. She is working on confidence and understanding how much she can do on the floor,” said Dunn. “She is very athletic and very talented with her length and I think she has started to realize the things she can bring every night.”Showing the parity of Bergen County girls hoops this season as opposed to its counterpart on the boys side, the quarterfinals were competitive from the first tip at noon to the last of the four-game set. The first three games won by Demarest, Teaneck and Old Tappan were all one-possession games in the four quarter and the fact that two storied programs and two consistent winners like NVOT and Ramapo were matched in the quarterfinals in the 4/5 is further testament to the county’s depth this year.It was a rock fight just like it was the last time these two teams met in last season’s North 1, Group 3 state sectional semifinal when Old Tappan held on for a three-point win as Ramapo’s last-second heave barely missed.This is not the new style of basketball where first-opportunity 3s are encouraged or where defense is suggested but optional. Old Tappan/Ramapo means there are no free trips through the painted area, no dribbling exhibitions at the top of the key and a whole-lotta hard-nosed man-to-man.Old Tappan held a slim 19-17 at the intermission and, although Ramapo never trailed by more than five points for the entirety of the second half, it held just one brief lead after the break, 20-19, when Kacie Gmiterek hit a 3-pointer to open the third quarter scoring. Four straight points by Old Tappan’s Mia Derrico gave the Knights the lead right back.There were ties at 23, 25 and 33 when Camden Epstein canned a buzzer beating 3-pointer at the third period horn, but Old Tappan used 1:01 of game clock on the first possession of the fourth quarter, finished it with two made free throws from Derrico and took the lead for good. Drullinsky’s driving layup on the Knights’ next possession made it 37-33.The defense did the rest as Old Tappan held Ramapo to just two fourth quarter field goals.“Coach Dunn does not make our practices easy. It’s not like we go out on the floor, be happy and get a pat on the back. That is not how you get better,” said Derrico, a junior guard. “It all starts in practice and that is how we all fuel each other.”Junior Camden Epstein led Ramapo with 22 points and senior Kacie Gmiterek scored all 9 of her points from behind the arc. Grace Saxton added 5 points, freshman Isla Fry had 4 and Toni Pernetti and Arianna Furnari split the other four points for Ramapo, which fell to 17-5 on the season.“It came down to the team that made less mistakes and we made too many. We gave up too many second chance points and we had some turnovers at key times,” said Ramapo head coach Sandy Gordon, whose team could very well see Old Tappan in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional playoffs. “It’s any given day. It’s what team shows up, which makes the less mistakes and hits shots. We just didn’t make enough tonight.”Drullinsky (17 points), Derrico (13 points) and Sadie Murphy (10 points), who hit 3 of 4 from the foul line in the final 25 seconds to close out the game, all finished in double figures for Old Tappan (13-5). Joley Giordano, Nina Caunedo, Alexa Caunedo and Alivia Badurina evenly split the other 8 points for the Knights, who are heading to the Bergen County semifinals for the third straight season.Next up is top-seeded and 8-time defending champion Saddle River Day, which knocked off upstart Glen Rock, 54-42. The Final 4 will be played on Saturday at Fair Lawn High School.“We’ve been there three years in a row now, we’ve played that game and our kids have seen what that looks like,” said Dunn. “We will be fine on that stage. It is why we play tough teams all year; to get ready from those games. We have to take care of the ball, knock down some shots because we are going to be playing a loaded team.”

Old Tappan throttles Holy Angels

Jan 28, 2025

Alexa Caunedo had 15 points for Old Tappan in its 60-15 triumph against Holy Angels in Old Tappan.Old Tappan (10-5) outscored Holy Angels 36-15 in the first half and shutout Holy Angels in the second half, 24-0. Old Tappen was able to get the whole bench out on the floor to fill the box score. Joley Giordano was able to secure some rebounds and made bucket. Old Tappan ends a two-game skid and gets back into the win column.Old Tappan is tied with Pascack Valley for third place in the National Division of the Big North Conference with 3-2 records. Demarest, No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, and Teaneck are tied for first place in the division with 4-1 records.

Old Tappan bests Morris Hills at Latteri Foundation Games

Jan 19, 2025

Sienna Drullinsky scored nine points to push Old Tappan to a 42-33 win over Morris Hills at the Zach Latteri Foundation Benefit Games, hosted by Pascack Valley.Alexa Caunedo added eight points for Old Tappan (9-3). Joley Giordano got some good minutes on the court while being active around the basket.

Old Tappan upends No. 14 Demarest

Jan 16, 2025

Sienna Drullinsky scored 18 points as Old Tappan defeated Demarest, No. 14 in the NJ.com Top 20, 59-51, in Old Tappan.1/16 – 4:15 PM Girls BasketballFinalDemarest51Old Tappan59Complete Box Score »Alex Caunedo had 14 points and Alivia Badurina added 12 for Old Tappan (8-3), which jumped out to a 29-18 halftime lead.

Old Tappan loses in a close one to Madison

Jan 04, 2025

Photo Faytok NJ Advance MediaJanuary 4, 2025, the Madison High School girls basketball team secured a 39-34 victory over Old Tappan. Madison’s Devon Johnson led all scorers with 14 points, while teammate Charlotte Tuhy contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 steals. For Old Tappan, Sienna Drullinsky was the top scorer with 8 points. The game saw Madison leading 13-6 after the first quarter, with Old Tappan narrowing the gap to 20-17 by halftime. Madison maintained their lead through the second half to clinch the win. Joley Giordano scored two buckets and pulled down some key rebounds. Mia Derrico was tough on defense and a solid game.

Old Tappan beats Cresskill – Joe Poli Tournament – Girls basketball recap

Dec 30, 2024

Mia Derrico led Old Tappan with 18 points in its 72-41 triumph against Cresskill in the Joe Poli Tournament in Old Tappan.Old Tappan (4-1) led Creskill 40-20 at halftime, limiting Cresskill to eight points in the second quarter.

Undefeated State Champs

Nov 22, 2024

Last pictures of the season with the Undefeated State Champs. For the first time since 2017, Old Tappan - ranked No. 4 in the NJ.com Top 20 - is a state champion. The Golden Knights’ 25-20, 25-11 tally over No. 9 Gov. Livingston in the NJSIAA Group 2 state finals on Sunday, Nov. 17 at Franklin High School capped one of the most incredible campaigns in program history, closing out the year with an unblemished 25-0 record.

Girls volleyball final Top 20 ranking: Old Tappan ends season at #3 in the State.

Nov 21, 2024

3-Old Tappan (25-0)Old Tappan is the first team to go undefeated in New Jersey volleyball since Williamstown in 2021. It is also Old Tappan’s second time going undefeated in history. Sprinting to championships in the Bergen County Tournament, North 1 Group 2 tournament, and the Group 2 state tournament, the Golden Knights were difficult to contain on any given day to capture their 15th state crown.Season Box Scores ByPJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Acticle

Undefeated State Champions; Old Tappan 25-0

Nov 17, 2024

Old Tappan’s dream season is complete: Knights finish undefeated, Group 2 state champs A coach never expects their team to go undefeated. In any sport, at any level, it is just too mighty of an ask to demand perfection. For Old Tappan’s Melissa Landeck, she never once had the desire to see her squad finish with a perfect record. However, this 2024 unit shattered all expectations, kicking down the door with authority as the undoubted powerhouse of Bergen County and Group 2 volleyball. For the first time since 2017, Old Tappan - ranked No. 4 in the NJ.com Top 20 - is a state champion. The Golden Knights’ 25-20, 25-11 tally over No. 9 Gov. Livingston in the NJSIAA Group 2 state finals on Sunday, Nov. 17 at Franklin High School capped one of the most incredible campaigns in program history, closing out the year with an unblemished 25-0 record.“I am so proud of this group. There is just a unified belief in one another, which made this season so special,” Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck said. “I am beyond proud of them.” Old Tappan is the first team to finish an undefeated season since Williamstown in 2021, logging their 15th state title in history. The idea of this convincingly surfacing to fruition did not dawn on Old Tappan until they defeated Immaculate Heart in the Bergen County Tournament championship, which was the team’s 20th win of the fall. “Once you get through the county tournament and see that you still haven’t lost a match, it sort of takes on a life of its own. It’s been an incredible ride,” Landeck said.There was no looking back for the Knights after that win. The sky was the limit. Old Tappan’s senior setter distributed 23 assists in Sunday’s win, surpassing 1,000 for her career. As if nabbing the state crown and finishing undefeated wasn’t memorable enough, Gioffre walks out of Old Tappan as a legend of the program.“Volleyball has been a huge part of my life for as long as I could remember. These last four years in particular have been the greatest of my career. I love this team and I am just so happy,” said Gioffre, who graduated with 1,011 assists. Fellow senior Samantha Kranzler, who battled an injury that sidelined her for most of 2023, was undeniable in her closing campaign. Finishing her career with 672, Kranzler dotted a dozen kills and two aces in her final act.She set the tone early on, ripping Old Tappan’s first three points of the day. To end the first set, she logged four of OT’s last points, all from a kill, including the set-winner. Junior Julia Whaley has blossomed into stardom over the past month. In the state finals, Whaley was staunch at the net, recording two blocks against a tough Gov. Livingston attack. She also rallied for seven kills, including the final three points of the season. She pummeled the match-winning point on a spike, sending Old Tappan’s faithful into a frenzy. “Julia works so hard to have her spot on the team. She’s grown more and more prominent as the season went on, so for her to have her moment in the spotlight makes us really happy,” Landeck said. Bianca Benasillo and Eva Curko spread the court well, producing kills apiece. It was the same model used all season. Backed by smart decision-making from Gioffre, Old Tappan has the ability to slam the floor from multiple options. This all led to 25 consecutive wins. “It really is crazy to think about this team finishing without a loss. We had different goals throughout the season and we kept checking them off the list. Winning a state championship was the main thing for us, but to go undefeated is something we will also never forget,” Kranzler said. Desi Malafis and Jamie Kim each sizzled one ace in Sunday’s victory. Old Tappan’s road to a state championship and a perfect record included postseason victories against Vernon, Pascack Valley, Sparta, Lyndhurst, and Gov. Livingston.ByPJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Acticle

Old Tappan completes perfect season with Group 2 girls volleyball championship

Nov 17, 2024

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — The first tournament title that Old Tappan earned this girls volleyball season helped fuel the belief that something rare was possible.The Bergen County champions fully believed they could add a state crown, which they did with Sunday’s 25-20, 25-11 win over Governor Livingston in the NJSIAA Group 2 final.Besides the hardware, the Golden Knights headed home from Somerset County with a 25-0 record – marking the second unbeaten season in program history.“Going undefeated is not something you talk about or set as a goal,” Old Tappan coach Melissa Landeck said. “It’s one of things that takes on a life of its own. And I think once we got through the county tournament, our eyes were really wide open, like, this could be something.“But,” she added, “following all sports superstitions, we never talked about it. [I’m] real proud of them, it’s a very special accomplishment.”What it meansLandeck also led the 2015 team squad that went 26-0, and she has guided the Golden Knights to six of their 14 state championships all-time. The previous 13 all came in Group 3.This is the 10th time a Bergen County program has authored a perfect season and the seventh time it has been done in North Jersey since the turn of the century. Hawthorne (31-0), Demarest (26-0) and Secaucus (25-0) all went unbeaten in 2001, and Demarest followed up with a 28-0 campaign in 2002.The most recent occurrence came when Bogota finished 10-0 with a sectional title in the COVID-affected Spring 2021 season.“What it really came down to is this team working hard every day, and never believing we were a finished product,” Landeck said. “Until the last practice of the season, these kids put in the work.”More milestonesOld Tappan setter Addison Gioffre put up 23 assists in the final to finish with 1,011 for her varsity career. The senior set up classmate Samantha Kranzler (12 kills) for the winning point in the first set and junior Julia Whaley (7 kills) on the championship point.“It’s just the cherry on top,” Gioffre said. “There’s nothing better I can wish for my senior season – perfect season, and now 1,000 assists. I had some injuries last year and the year before, so this was never really on my radar.”The match was tied twice in the first few rallies, but Old Tappan took control of the first set and never allowed Governor Livingston (24-6) to get a lead. The Highlanders led by a point three times early in the second set, but the Golden Knights pulled away with a 5-0 run spurred by two aces from Kranzler.Old Tappan was strong at the net as always, and the back-row defense led by senior libero Jamie Kim was able to dig up most of what got through.“We always say, ‘It starts with the pass’,” Kim said, “but it’s always our front row really finishing the job. We’re so proud of them. It’s a big team effort.”They said itWith multiple unbeaten campaigns to her credit, Landeck joined a club that includes retired coaches Beth Powell of Demarest (two unbeaten seasons) and Maria Nolan of Secaucus/Immaculate Heart (eight) – both of whom were in attendance Sunday.“It’s a credit to the kids, and I’m sure they would tell you the same thing about their seasons,” Landeck said. “This is homegrown talent from Old Tappan that got this done.”By Greg Tartaglia NorthJersey.com

No. 4 Old Tappan girls volleyball downs Lyndhurst to reach 1st state final since 2021

Nov 14, 2024

Samantha Kranzler had 15 kills and seven digs to lead Old Tappan, No. 4 in the NJ.com Top 20, to a 2-0 (25-17, 25-16) win over Lyndhurst in the Group 2 semifinals in Old Tappan. The win advanced Old Tappan to its first state championship match since 2021. It will face No. 9 Gov. Livingston in the Group 2 final on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Franklin High School.Addison Gioffre had 30 assists for Old Tappan, which improved to 24-0, and continued its run of 20-straight matches without dropping a set. Eva Curko had eight kills, four digs, and two blocks, while Julia Whaley had six kills in the win. ByMike Gurnis | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Article

Old Tappan Girls Volleyball Sectional Champs; Still Undefeated

Nov 12, 2024

Tuesday night’s championship match had everything on the line for a pair of teams bulldozing through the competition like freight trains this season.Top-seeded Old Tappan, champions of the Bergen County Tournament, hosted second-seeded Sparta, winners of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament, in one of the most talent-filled contests this season.It’s rare for a pair of county champs to meet in the NJSIAA sectional tournament finals, but these teams have shown a tremendous level of resiliency in 2024.Not only were these units vying for the N1G2 sectional crown, but to keep their respective winning streaks alive.Going into Nov. 12, Old Tappan held the longest streak in New Jersey with 22 wins, opposing their zero losses.The second-longest streak in the state belonged to, you guessed it, Sparta. The Spartans began the year with a 1-2 record, but came into Tuesday’s title bout with 19 consecutive wins.The pressure was immense on both ends of the hardwood, but the coaching, the talent, and the grit displayed all season lived on in the championship.For the first time since 2021 and the 10th time in program history, Old Tappan has won a state sectional. Addison Gioffre was the ultimate conductor, orchestrating 23 assists to find five different players for a kill in the 25-13, 25-19 tally.“We served and passed so well today,” Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck said. “Whenever we have that going, everything else falls in nicely for us.”The Golden Knights (23-0) jutted out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening set, then all of a sudden, had an 8-2 cushion behind kills from Samantha Kranzler, Eva Curko, and Julia Whaley.Old Tappan never appeared to be out of system on Tuesday, mainly behind the juggernaut’s mental approach. When a team is still undefeated this late into a campaign, it can start to weigh heavily on a squad.Rather than look at each match through a microscope and try to dissect every uncontrollable piece of a volleyball match, Landeck and Co. are able to contain the external pressure.“The key to staying calm in an undefeated season is to not overthink what the other team is doing. We’re all about focusing on our side of the net and reminding ourselves that we are a good team and can win on our own,” Landeck said.“Once we remember that, our girls can do amazing things.”Old Tappan has lost one set all season long. They have rumbled through their schedule, donning the top seed in each of the Bergen County and N1G2 tournaments.Though it‘s a milestone in itself to call yourselves champions of the BCT, Old Tappan’s hunger to win never dissolved.“It‘s tough putting aside the record we have and winning the Bergen County Tournament. It‘s very easy to focus on that and think that no more hard work needs to be put in, but that’s not Old Tappan volleyball,” Kranzler said. “We have worked hard every day to continue winning and cherishing being on the court in these big games.”Kranzler, a senior, nabbed six kills on Tuesday, including the match-winner.The Golden Knights’ juniors also prevailed on Tuesday. Playing like a group of veterans, Eva Curko and Julia Whaley found their spots all night at the net, logging nine and eight kills, respectively.Whaley secured the final two points of the opening set behind two spikes and Curko punched OT’s 21st and 22nd points of the same frame.“This entire season been super fun. These seniors are role models to us, so to take the court with them and win means everything,” Whaley said.Bianca Benasillo and Gabriela Paltag contributed one kill each and Jamie Kim rallied for eight digs and an ace. Desi Malafis ripped two digs, too.Old Tappan‘s last sectional title came in 2021, which was the current senior class’ freshman campaign.It has been a rollercoaster ride for Krazler, Gioffre, Kim, and Brenna Delaney, but these seniors are able to go out on top, just as they saw their role models do in 2021.“This senior class is so special. We definitely left our mark, but we have two more games to continue this amazing run,” Kranzler said.Old Tappan will face Lyndhurst - the N2G2 champions - in the Group 2 state semifinals on Thursday in Old Tappan.Full Sectional Bracket Winning Point on XByPJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Article & Photos

Old Tappan Advances to Sectional Finals with Win Over Pascack Valley; Still Undefeated

Nov 09, 2024

Entering Saturday’s North Jersey Section 1, Group 2 semifinal match of the NJSIAA Playoffs at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, the top-seeded Golden Knights boasted as impressive a resume as any program in the Garden State. Ranked No. 4 in the NJ.com Top 20, Old Tappan rolled into the semifinals with an undefeated record and only one set loss in 2024. Opposing Old Tappan on Saturday was the one team to take a set from it this season in fourth-seeded Pascack Valley. It was a hard-fought, back and forth match between two of North Jersey‘s top teams, but Old Tappan (22-0) did just a bit more to prevail in straight sets by set scores of 25-21 and 26-24. Old Tappan’s victory sets it on a collision course with second-seeded, eight-ranked Sparta, who defeated sixth-seeded Demarest in straight sets to set up a sectional final clash in Old Tappan on Tuesday. As divisional rivals in the Big North conference National Division, Old Tappan and Pascack Valley had met twice during the regular season. Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck highlighted the stiff divisional competition her team battled en route to the playoffs and how the her players have elevated their game against that competition.“We‘re familiar foes. Same conference, same league, and I think our division is arguably the toughest,” Landeck said of the division that produced three of the four N1G2 semifinal participants. “Both teams competed today and that‘s what you want at this level of the state tournament. This was our third meeting of the season so it’s a testament to our league.” Old Tappan‘s formula rung off 21 consecutive wins since opening night in September, and it was more of the same for win #22. Senior Addison Gioffre played her part as setter by racking up 28 assists on the day, and Old Tappan’s top hitters did the rest.Senior Samantha Kranzler recorded a game-high 16 kills while juniors Eva Curko and Julia Whaley chipped in with seven and six kills respectively, and the trio combined for five blocks in dominant efforts at the net both offensively and defensively. Kranzler and Curko knew that if any team was going to push Old Tappan to its limit, it would be the only one that had won a set against it during the season, and both players highlighted the challenges the third match with Pascack Valley presented. “It’s always hard playing a team three times,” Kranzler said. “They’re the only team that had taken a set from us so we knew they were going to come in confident. For us, it was just about practicing hard yesterday, sticking to our game plan, and focusing on ourselves as a team and not worrying about anyone around us.” Curko added on to Kranzler’s comments by detailing how Old Tappan has managed the high-pressure situations it has faced throughout the season. The ever present “0″ in the loss column can weigh on players if it’s thought about too much, and Curko detailed the approach that has helped her and her teammates remain level-headed in the midst of an undefeated season thus far. “It’s about playing one game at a time and staying focused throughout the whole game,” Curko said. “Being confident in ourselves is part of our game plan and that’s how we play the whole time.”With a team full of players brimming with confidence and the talent to back it up, Landeck had plenty to say about the top performers that have Old Tappan one win away from a sectional title. “They‘re a quality program, very well coached. It‘s always a tough game so we’ll be doing our homework on them to get ready to show up on Tuesday and compete,” Landeck said. “We respect every opponent and what’s going to be vital for that game is practicing and playing our hardest,” Curko added. “Both side of the net are going to be playing outstanding volleyball and we’ll have to focus on ourselves at the end of the day.”Pascack Valley concludes its 2024 campaign with a 17-7 record, improving on the team’s 15-8 showing in 2023. For second year head coach Kaitlin Mac Iver, the 2024 campaign served as a strong step forward for her program. Both improving on the regular season record as well as qualifying for the sectional semifinals after falling in the quarterfinals last season, Mac Iver sees the 2024 group as one that did everything asked of it and played as well as she could have asked. “I came in last year and the kids have bought into the system, and I‘ve told them since day one that we’re all in it together,” Mac Iver said.“Samantha was outstanding today. She took some big swings for us and was everything you want from a senior leader,” Landeck said of her team’s top hitter. “She saw the court well, she mixed her shot to keep the defense on their toes, and I can‘t say enough about her passing and defense. She really is the whole package. Eva took some big swings for us today as well, she‘s another tough one to defend. Addison always knows when to find the fight hands, she’s a very smart setter.” Smart setters putting big swingers in position for hits is the simple yet effective formula that‘s left Old Tappan’s record unblemished through 22 matches. The toughest test of the season still looms for the Golden Knights however.Old Tappan and Sparta last squared off in the 2022 sectional semifinals, a straight set victory for Sparta en route to its Group 2 championship that season. Old Tappan will look to flip the script in the rematch, but it knows the challenge that lies ahead. “On the back of our shirts it says ‘I Am Because We Are’ and they‘ve really bought into the mentality of everyone making an impact. Whether it‘s on the court or off the court they came to work every single day since last year for me. They put in the work and they get along great with each other and I’m so grateful to never have any drama. They respect each other, they respect the game, they respect me, and they worked really really hard.” Although three Pascack Valley seniors will graduate, Mac Iver highlighted the dozen returning players that will remain and look to continue the program’s ascension when play begins in 2025. ByJack McKenna | For NJ Advance MediaFull Article

Old Tappan Wins Their Opening State Playoff Game; Still Undefeated

Nov 07, 2024

In the NJSIAA Tournament's Quarterfinal Round for North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2, the Old Tappan girls' volleyball team secured a decisive 2-0 victory over Vernon on November 7, 2024.The Golden Knights dominated both sets, winning 25-10 and 25-14, thereby advancing to the semifinals.Match Highlights:Kills: Old Tappan's Samantha Kranzler led all players with 15 kills, showcasing her offensive prowess. Blocks: Julia Whaley of Old Tappan was a defensive standout with 3 blocks.Assists: Setter Addison Gioffre facilitated Old Tappan's offense with 22 assists. Joley Giordano contributed to the win with a Kill and a Dig.This win elevated Old Tappan's season record to an impressive 25-0, underscoring their dominance in the Big North - National division. Vernon concluded their season with a commendable 16-5 record in the NJAC - Liberty division. Old Tappan's consistent performance throughout the season positions them as formidable contenders as they progress further in the state tournament.Full Box Score

Old Tappan Bergen County Champs

Nov 02, 2024

Dream undefeated season carries on, nabs 1st Bergen title since 2019 By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comWinning the BCWCA Bergen County Tournament is a top priority for Old Tappan. Although it is one of the toughest brackets to carve out a championship win in all of New Jersey, the Golden Knights find themselves among the perennial contenders – particularly over the last 15 years.On Saturday, Nov. 2 in Old Tappan, the No. 6 ranked Golden Knights faced a familiar foe in No. 10 Immaculate Heart. IHA has knocked Old Tappan out of the tournament two years in a row, including the 2023 championship bout. In an effort to cement their legacy with the North Jersey juggernaut, the OT senior class was not going to walk out of their own gym without a county title to their name.In front of their home crowd, Old Tappan was undeniable. Senior setter Addison Gioffre orchestrated 28 assists, finding five different players for multiple kills – adding two herself – to compete with a steel curtain IHA defense. Her crucial decision-making carried the energy as Old Tappan marched to their first Bergen County championship since 2019 and sixth overall in a 25-16, 25-22 tally to improve to 20-0 as the only team in the Garden State without a loss this season. “With every practice this season, this win and this match was on our mind,” Old Tappan senior libero Jamie Kim said. “Since our freshman year, we envisioned going out on top. There is so much pride when we put on this uniform, so we are happy to get the job done.”This Old Tappan senior class has never beaten IHA, but knew Saturday’s contest would favor them if they jumped out to a tone-setting run. “These girls believe in our process every day. They’ve become prepared for whatever is thrown at them, so to win this match shows how special this group really is,” Old Tappan head coach Melissa Landeck said. “They were very calm early in the first set, which was a good sign that they would play within themselves.”Senior outside hitter Samantha Kranzler pummeled a kill to make it 3-2 Old Tappan in the opening frame, which was the 600th kill of her career. With the milestone out of the way, Old Tappan kept chipping into their lead, eventually reading 16-9, then 22-12 scores on the board behind valued contribution from each player. “Winning the county tournament was No. 1 on everyone‘s list, regardless of individual milestones. I’m glad we can cross that one off,” Kranzler said. “This county trophy is what we all have worked for.”Six different players logged a kill in the opening set, led by Eva Curko’s four. The junior southpaw racked up seven kills in the contest, including the match-winning point to send the Golden Knights into a frenzy at mid-court. Julia Whaley rammed six kills and a block while Bianca Benasillo and Gabriela Paltag generated a trio of kills each.“We are just beyond excited by how we all competed. Every single player wanted to win this specific game so bad,” Gioffre said. Gioffre snuck a dump kill twice on Saturday, giving her three multi-kill performances in 2024 alongside 442 assists. She, like many of the other Golden Knights, were once elementary school students in the Old Tappan district just waiting on their moment to play for Landeck and be part of the Golden Knights’ winning history.Saturday’s victory is all Gioffre and her teammates ever wanted. “There’s video of me and my dad sitting in the bleachers when Old Tappan won the title in 2019. So to go from that little girl looking on in the stands, to being a part of this storied team, means everything to me,” Gioffre said.The second set was a bit more tense. IHA (22-4) and Old Tappan traded off 11 separate ties before Kranzler and Gioffre knotted a kill each to make it a 17-15 lead. Kranzler led the team with six kills in the final set and now has 227 this year. “Sam steps up for us time and time again. She is an amazing teammate, most importantly, but her career here has been one of the best we have seen at Old Tappan,” Landeck said. Curko, etching out her own stardom, released three kills in the final moments to give OT their 22nd, 24th, and 25th points of the last frame. She has 90 kills in 2024.To have a spotless record through 20 matches calls for each player and coach to to execute on their game plan. Landeck and Co. have concocted the perfect formula to reach this point, but they know there is more at stake. The Golden Knights enter the NJSIAA state tournament as the No. 1 seed in the North 1, Group 2 bracket. N1G2 is one of the deepest sections among the 20 in New Jersey, but Old Tappan is visibly prepped for a deep run. They will enjoy the Bergen County crown, but won’t take their eyes off the prize of a sectional and state title. Both are well within reach.Full Article

Bergen County Tournament finals preview

Oct 29, 2024

Rematch of powerhouses, but seeds are flipped By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comThe BCWCA Bergen County Tournament championship is coming up next.Check out all the information, stats and predictions below for the highly-anticipated final.Matchup: 1-Old Tappan vs. 2-Immaculate HeartVenue: Old TappanDate/Time: Saturday, Nov. 2 – 3:30 p.m.Coming into the season, it was known that Old Tappan and Immaculate Heart would be the teams to beat up north in Bergen County. Two consistent programs that have each seen their fair share of championships, this matchup is a rematch of the 2023 finals, which saw IHA win in three sets as the top seed.This year, Old Tappan corralled the No. 1 seed and is the last remaining undefeated squad in all of New Jersey. Each team has two matches prior to the championship bout, but check out the teams’ records and player statistics below entering championship weekend.Old Tappan (19-0)Coach: Melissa LandeckRoad to championship game: 17-Park Ridge; 8-Demarest; 4-RamapoOld Tappan notes: The 2024 season has been a conquest of redemption for the Golden Knights. The current senior class was bumped out of the Bergen County Tournament in the quarterfinals in each of their freshman and sophomore seasons. As juniors, they reached the finale, but fell to an IHA team that finished as the top-ranked Non-Public team in the Garden State.On Saturday, Old Tappan and their seniors have the opportunity to go out on a high note. They’ve climbed the state rankings, hanging in at No. 6 with just a single set loss all year.The offense begins with Samantha Kranzler, a 2022 First Team All-Group 2 star who missed half of the 2023 season due to injury. She’s navigated OT to a tremendous spot as the most dangerous Group 2 program, but the Golden Knights have also etched vital offensive roles out of Eva Curko, Julia Whaley, Bianca Benasillo, and Gabriela Paltag to keep the opposition guessing. Setter Addison Gioffre has plenty of options to get the rhythm going, but a historically-sound IHA defense will try to combat all hitting lanes. Gioffre has the experience to keep everyone on their toes, and she may just be the difference in the championship game.Last Bergen title: 20195 players to watchSamantha Kranzler: 218 kills, 101 digs, 28 acesAddison Gioffre: 414 assists, 68 digs, 17 aces, 14 kills, 14 blocksEva Curko: 83 kills, 34 digs, 12 blocksJulia Whaley: 76 kills, 29 blocksJamie Kim: 140 digs, 23 acesFull Article

Top 20 – Old Tappan only remaining Undefeated Team

Oct 24, 2024

6-Old Tappan (15-0)Last week: No. 7Old Tappan is the last remaining undefeated team in New Jersey this season.They are the top seed in the Bergen County Tournament, defeating Park Ridge and Demarest so far in the bracket as they prepare for Ramapo on Oct. 26.Full Article By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

OT Only Undefeated Left In NJ

Oct 24, 2024

Another week of volleyball is in the books. With another slate of matches down, have a look at the latest headlines in New Jersey volleyball.Old Tappan stands aloneEntering Oct. 25, Old Tappan is the only remaining undefeated team in New Jersey.They hold a 16-0 record as the No. 1 seed in the Bergen County Tournament, and have won 15 matches in straight sets.The Golden Knights stat leaders are:Samantha Kranzler: 194 kills, 25 acesAddison Gioffre: 364 assistsJamie Kim: 121 digsJulia Whaley: 25 blocksFull Article

Top 20 ranking: County tournament season welcomes premier squads

Oct 17, 2024

7-Old Tappan (12-0)Last week: No. 7The Golden Knights are 12-0 and the top dogs in the Bergen County Tournament. They have not dropped a set since Sept. 13 and have taken command of Group 2.Full Article By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Girls Volleyball Championship Brackets Preview

Oct 11, 2024

Girls volleyball: NJSIAA & County/conference championship brackets, 2024 seasonBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comChampionship volleyball is on the horizon.The state tournament and county and conference tournaments are kicking off bracket competition with championships on the line. Several teams are in line to defend their trophy, while others can play spoiler.Have a look below at each bracket. Check back in as more championship brackets will be added.NJSIAA GROUP TOURNAMENTGroup 1Group 2Group 3Group 4NJSIAA STATE BRACKETSNorth Jersey 1Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4COUNTY/CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT BRACKETSBergen County TournamentFull Article

Top 20 – Only a few still Undefeated

Oct 10, 2024

Girls volleyball Top 20 ranking:It’s impossible to predict anything at this point in the season. Upsets, thrillers and everything in between has highlighted a volleyball year filled with constant excitement, leading to any team winning on any given day.As we seep into mid-October, let’s see how the state Top 20 ranking looks through Oct. 9 matches.7-Old Tappan (11-0)Last week: No. 7Hanging on to their undefeated record, the Golden Knights grabbed a win over Pascack Valley this past week. Old Tappan will be a legitimate contender in the Bergen County Tournament as they look to return to the championship round again.Full ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

October Top 20 – Undefeated Old Tappan #7

Oct 03, 2024

7-Old Tappan (10-0)Last week: No. 7Victories over Ramapo and Bergenfield this past week keep the Golden Knights without a loss through a month of scheduling. They have tallied six straight-set wins in a row as they prep for the upcoming Bergen County Tournament.Full ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Girls volleyball roundup: Top 20 recaps, Sept 25th

Sep 25, 2024

No. 6 Old Tappan 2, Teaneck 0 (25-17, 25-15)The Golden Knights’ undefeated quest remains intact after Wednesday’s victory against Teaneck.Samantha Kranzler pounced for 14 kills, four digs and three aces while Addison Gioffre logged 18 assists and four kills.Full ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Girls volleyball roundup: Top 20 recaps

Sep 15, 2024

On Monday, Sept. 16, there were 15 teams ranked in the current Top 20 that took the court. Each ranked squad pulled out the victory to begin the week, paving the way for a contentious remainder in their schedules.Have a look below to see the results, top performers and more.No. 6 Old Tappan 2, Tenafly 0 (25-10, 25-18)Old Tappan already has two ranked wins in 2024 with a 5-0 overall record. On Monday, Samantha Kranzler pummeled 13 kills in her comeback season while Bianca Benasillo and Gabriela Paltag went for seven and five kills, respectively. Addison Gioffre distributed 25 assists as the Golden Knights continue to look strong out of the gate.Full Article By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan Moves up in the Top 20

Sep 12, 2024

Girls volleyball Top 20Wild welcome back to the court stirs shuffle #6 – Old Tappan (3-0)Last week: No. 7Off to a fierce start, the Golden Knights had a huge win over Morristown to begin their campaign. Each victory has come in straight sets as Old Tappan is looking to evolve into a frontrunner in Bergen County again.Full Article By PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan early favorite for the 2024 season

Aug 30, 2024

Compelling girls volleyball storylines to follow in 2024Big NorthNo Shortage in Talent: Year-in and year-out, the Big North Conference never fails to disappoint when it comes to churning Top 20-level teams.In 2024, look out for “under-the-radar” teams in Cliffside Park, Fort Lee, Northern Highlands, Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley and Ramapo to take a step forward after having solid performances one year ago.Immaculate Heart and Old Tappan are early favorites to be the top teams in the conference once again after meeting in the county championship in 2023. IHA’s coach Michelle Yoo saw a successful rookie campaign after winning the county and state trophy and will look to returners in Eve Roman and Julia Sobilo. At Old Tappan, coach Melissa Landeck returns Samantha Kranzler, Brenna Delaney Addison Gioffre and Eva Curko to lead the way.Perennial contenders in Demarest and River Dell will be interesting squads to keep an eye on. Demarest loses reigning Player of the Year Taylor Miller to graduation while wishing legendary coach Beth Powell into retirement. It’s the beginning of a new chapter at Demarest to say the least.Full ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Group 2 favorites and contenders for the 2024-25 season The 2024 girls volleyball season is right around the corner. As defending champions prepare for another run in their respective sections, new teams look to the opportunity of a clean slate. Let’s delve into each group – section by section – and see which squads are early contenders on the hardwood.Have a look below at the favorites and contenders in Group 2.North 1FavoriteOld Tappan: Reaching the Bergen County final and the sectional semis a year ago, Old Tappan consistently finds themselves towards the top when it comes to best teams in the state.North 1 Group 2 is likely the overall toughest section in New Jersey and the trophy is anyone’s for the taking. The Golden Knights provide a solid case as to why they would be the favorite this fall, however. Samantha Kranzler (106 kills), an All-Group player two years ago, will return after missing some time in 2023. Old Tappan, finishing with a 20-4 record, will see key returners in Brenna Delaney (96 kills, 83 digs), Addison Gioffre (366 assists, 72 digs) and Eva Curko (192 assists, 69 digs, 50 kills).Full ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan Ranked 7th in PreSeason Polls

Aug 29, 2024

Girls volleyball preseason Top 20:Who’s looking excellent to start 2024? 7th – Old Tappan2023 Record: 20-42023 Final Ranking: No. 13Season Opener: Sept. 5 vs. MorristownFull ArticleBy PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan Finishes 11th in the State – Girls Track & Field

Jun 14, 2024

Final 2024 girls track & field Top 20:N.J.’s best teams hold form through postseasonThe NJSIAA Group Championships have come and gone and so has the Meet of Champions.We’ve reached the end of another N.J. track and field season, and simply put, it was a year to remember.NJ.com released its final girls Fab 50 on Thursday, and now it’s time for one last update of the girls Top 20. Which squads ended the year strong?Scroll for the final rankings release of the 2024 campaign.11-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 12The Golden Knights were third in the Group 3 team title race behind Winslow and Timber Creek. Old Tappan’s season can be boiled down to several enormous meets, including the team’s county championship that got incredibly tight with Demarest in the scoring department and its third North 1, Group 3 crown in a row. Thrower Layla Giordano defended her M of Cs gold in the discus as did fellow senior Abby Dennis in the 100 hurdles on Wednesday.

Old Tappan holds off Ramapo to win North; Group 3 Sectional – Girls Track & Field

Jun 01, 2024

Old Tappan was able to win its third straight title and fifth overall behind its senior studs – Abby Dennis and Layla Giordano. Old Tappan finished with 91 team points with Ramapo right behind at 83. “Myself and my teammates have all put in a lot of hard work and we really wanted that three-peat,” Dennis said. “We’re really excited to get it, so the underclassmen can experience what it’s like to win a sectional title. We lost an important group of seniors, so we were nervous coming into the season, but we have freshmen and sophomores who have pushed our team forward.”Layla Giordano won the shot put competition at 45 feet, six 1/4 inches and absolutely ran away with the discus with a mark of 172 feet, two inches. She blew away the meet record she set last year (157 feet) and beat the next closet competitor by 50 inches. “Basically at these meets and the ones before this, I’m just trying to improve myself,” Giordano said. “I’m a competitive person and have grown up being a competitor in all sports.”Maya Giordano placed 3rd in both, Shot and Disc . Closing out her High School Track & Field career with a PR in discus to finish with a strong day to help boost Old Tappan passed Ramapo to take the Sectional Title.

Girls track & field sectional preview – North 1 Group 3

May 29, 2024

North 1 Group 3ATHLETES TO WATCHLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, Sr., ThrowsThe Princeton pledge has been nothing short of amazing this spring. Giordano won the state’s first Penn Relays title in the discus since 2004 with a season-best and landslide N.J. No. 1 mark of 167-10. She has two more throws over 160 and hasn’t thrown worse than 150 this spring. In the shot put, she fired a PR 50-0 earlier this month, which serves as N.J.’s second-furthest mark. Giordano is the reigning M of Cs gold medalist in both events, and the PR 170-4 in the discus from her win at New Balance Nationals a year ago has her on state record watch.RECORD WATCH: 200, Discus, Pole vault, Shot put.Many records can bite the dust on Friday and Saturday in Vernon. Assuming she throws in the vicinity of her PRs, Giordano is positioned to break her own meet record 157-0 in the discus and destroy the 45-3 shot put record thrown way back in 2002 by Demarest’s Jessica Fazekas. Sathiyan’s PR 12-8 in the pole vault would take down the 12-7 cleared by Pascack Valley product Melissa Purcell in 2017. In the 200, Redmond’s PR 24.38 is fast enough to snap the record 24.52 from Teaneck’s Kayce Darby in 2019.TEAMS TO WATCH: Mount Olive, Northern Highlands, Old Tappan, RamapoMount Olive’s stars, Ramapo’s promising wave of underclassmen, including Jada Giordano and Northern Highlands’ depth will give Old Tappan trouble in certain events, but the Golden Knights have shown in their county and conference meets how much they can score. It goes beyond the Giordano sisters and Dennis. NVOT has the best pole vaulting trio in the state in senior Allie Tuite and juniors Jamie Kim and Salome Sanchez, freshman Caroline Ognibene is one of N.J.’s top high jumpers, and the team has points it can scatter across the relay events. Joley Giordano could be making her track debut on one of Old Tappan’s young relay teams. THE PICK: Old Tappan

Giordano and Shue put on a show

May 27, 2024

HACKENSACK — It’s been a week now since the sensational Lou Lanzalotto Bergen Meet of Champions at the Ed Church Track at Hackensack High School and the excitement hasn’t yet faded.The meet, started by Church and several other coaches in 1970 and the Girls Meet of Champions, started nine years later by the late Lou Molino of Ramsey, the late Dick Hitt of Rutherford and a very young reporter named Paul Schwartz. It merged into its current form in 1992. It’s doubtful that of the previous meets had the level of excellence and excitement as the 31st edition of the merged meet.Layla Giordano of Old Tappan and Benji Shue of Bergen Catholic exploded record throws in the shot put and discus as the meet got underway with the field events at 3:30, and there were North Jersey season leaders in half of the 14 events. Giordano and Shue put on a showThe Giordano and Shue families have gotten close over the last two years.“We’re both going after the same things,” said Layla Giordano, the Old Tappan senior. “Our dads love talking track and we hang out a lot at track meets with my sisters, Ben and his little brother.” Both Layla Giordano and Benji Shue have destroyed the Bergen County record books in the shot and discus. At the Bergen Meet of Champions, Ben went first, in the discus. While he didn’t break his county record of 201-11, producing his first ever series with multiple 200 foot throws, with a best of 201-9, besting his own meet record by more than 14 feet.Then it was Layla’s turn and she recorded an awesome shot put series that included successive personal bests of 47-1 3/4, 47-10 1/2, 48-1 and then on her final throw an absolute bomb that had the large crowd surrounding the shot put area waiting anxiously for the measurement. Official Mark Scully took advantage of the moment, reading the mark as five 0 even or 50 feet, prompting a great roar. It was a Bergen County record by more than a foot as she became only the fourth girl in state history to break the 50 foot barrier. The old record was 48-10 1/2, set by Amarys Berry of Hackensack when she won the 2016 group 4 state title.Shue turned to the shot at the same time Giordano went to the discus. As Layla was throwing 162-10, 164-2 and 167-4, breaking own previous meet record of 156-3 each time and finishing just three feet from her own Bergen record, Shue was destroying his personal best in the shot.The Bergen Catholic junior came into the competition with an all-time best of 64-3, and left with that throw trailing each of his six throws that evening. First it was a PR of 64-11 3/4, then a toss of 67-6 that put him in the state lead and within a foot of the 39 year old Bergen record, set by Andy Papathanassiou at the State group 1 meet at Rutgers in 1985. He followed with throws of 65-6, 65-10 and 65-6 before he unfurled his own bomb on the final throw that touched earth at 68 feet even, just three inches from Papathanassiou’s county mark, which stood as the state record for 13 years until it was broken in 1998. Afterwards was Giordano was effusive in her joy while Shue was as usual, matter of fact.“I never really expected something like this,” said Giordano, whose major meet personal best was 45-6 before the meet. “I have been doing high 40s in practice and with the right conditions, I knew I could go farther.” “People forget that I’m the state champ in shot too.”Shue expected a breakthrough in the shot, saying after the discus and before the shot, that he expected a big night in the latter event because practice had been going so well.“Ever since practices after Penn Relays I knew I was going to do something special in the shot,” said Shue. “To be three inches away is frustrating, but it keeps driving me where I want to go.”Layla’s twin, Maya, also made some history with her personal best throw of 40-10 in the shot for second. The Giordano Twins join just two other sister duos as throwing more than 40 feet in the same meet. Kelly and Jessica Fazekas of Demarest were the first pair of sisters to do it in 2002 and the Cintron sisters of Elizabeth, Lizzelle and Michelle followed the next year.For their efforts, Giordano won the Paul Schwartz Field Event Award for the second straight year while Shue won the Ed Church Field Event Award for a record third straight time.

Old Tappan rises back to #13 in New Jersey Top 20 rankings – Girls Track & Field

May 16, 2024

13-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 16At Saturday’s county championships, the Golden Knights scored 156 points to outlast Demarest (150) for the first time in a long time in the team standings at a county/conference meet. Senior Abby Dennis gold medaled four times (100H, 400H, 100, 200), senior Layla Giordano swept the discus and shot put, freshman Caroline Ognibene won the high jump, and senior Allie Tuite headlined NVOT’s pole vault core that finished first, second and third. Maya Giordano score 16 points for the the team with two second place throws in Disc and shot. Those 16 points might have pushed Old Tappan over the top to take the win. Up next: Bergen County Meet of Champions, May 17

Giordano Sisters Help Old Tappan win Bergen County Championship

May 12, 2024

Old Tappan girls nip Demarest at county championshipsAfter what had been almost two years of Demarest edging out Old Tappan in the girls Group B team standings at the county and conference meets, the Golden Knights got over the hump on their home track on Saturday. NVOT finished with 156 points to Demarest’s 150. Every race and field event mattered. Abby Dennis came away with golds in the 100 hurdles, 400H, 100 and 200 as fellow senior Layla Giordano won the discus and shot put as per usual. Maya Giordano, took second with PRs in the two events and younger sister, Joley, helped the team with her first medal in 4×100 relay. Old Tappan’s pole vaulting core of senior Allie Tuite and juniors Jamie Kim and Salome Sanchez finished first, second and third in that order. Silver medals from sophomore Angie Kelley in the 400 and junior Sophia Katechis in the 3,200 added to the run of points for NVOT.By Bakari Tice | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Article

Old Tappan drops to 16th in state rankings – Girls Track & Field

May 09, 2024

16-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 13The Golden Knights finished just 5.5 points behind Demarest for second in the National Division team standings at last week’s Big North Championships in Demarest. The stars were out as usual for the Golden Knights, who saw Abby Dennis win four golds and fellow senior Layla Giordano win the discus and shot put to go with a silver medal in the javelin. Their pole vault trio of senior Allie Tuite, junior Jamie Kim and junior Salome Sanchez also finished top three in the event in that order.Up next: Gene Littler Bergen County Championships, May 10-11

Old Tappan Ranked 13th in the State – Girls Track & Field

May 02, 2024

13-Old TappanThe Golden Knights were third with 92 points in the Group B standings at the Jack Yockers Bergen County Relays behind Demarest (130) and River Dell (93). This is a team that should be able to showcase its depth more, specifically in the pole vault, in a county championship meet setting in which results aren’t parlayed into a relay. In the meantime, you have to marvel at what senior discus standout Layla Giordano is doing. The Princeton commit threw a 167-10 to gold medal at the Penn Relays just days after a 157-0 at the county relays.Up next: Big North Championships at Demarest, May 2

Joley Giordano makes her Penn Relays Debut in the 4×100

Apr 25, 2024

In Joley Giordano’s Penn Relays debut, Old Tappan High School finished 3rd in their 4×100 relay race with a time of 52.25. Old Tappan in Lane 3 running with white top and dark blue shorts. Joley sprinting out of the third turn and making the pass to Abby Dennis to finish third overall. Not bad for a squad with a few freshmen in the relay.Photo from left to rightAngie Kelley Abby Dennis Caroline Ognibene Joley Giordano

Girls Track and Field: Old Tappan Team preview & returning athletes for the 2024 season in North Jersey

Apr 01, 2024

National Division – GirlsNo one has brighter stars than Old Tappan with defending state champions Layla Giordano (T) and Abby Dennis (H/S). Seniors Maya Giordano (T), Allie Tuite (PV) and Loucine Santana (T) are potential veteran point scorers as are juniors Jamie Kim (PV), Salome Sanchez (PV) and Harley McGinnity (H/J) and soph Angie Kelley (S). The Golden Knights shoot for a third straight sectional title and perhaps a second group title in three years.Top returning performers by event entering 2024 season GirlsShot put: 1. Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, 45-6 (2; 7B); 2. Elliot Eddy, Hasbrouck Heights, 37-11 (14; 67B); 3. Grace Gilbert, Ramapo, 37-6 1/2 (17; 82B); 4. Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, 36-7 1/2 (20); 5. Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus, 36-6 1/2 (21).Discus: 1. Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, 170-4 (1; Bergen County record); 2. Julia Sobilo, IHA, 128-2 (4; 23B); 3. Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, 111-10 (25); 4. Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus, 110-2; 5. Afua Anyadike, Bergen Tech, 108-9.Pole vault: 1. Jamie Kim, Old Tappan, 11-6 (t-5; 16B); 2. Jenna Monaco, Dumont, 11-2 (8; 22B); 3. Isabella Formoso, Bergen Tech, 10-8 (10; 46B); 4. Allie Tuitt, Old Tappan, 10-6 (t-11; 47B); 5. two tied at 10-0.Javelin: 1. Evelyn Roman, IHA, 121-6 (8; 57B); 2. Clarissa Guerrero, Westwood, 120-3 (9; 67B); 3. Yasemin Ugurlu, Lyndhurst, 116-7 (13; 84B); 4. Alissa Martin, Teaneck, 115-6 (14; 116-7 in 2022 84B); 5. Sadie Valentin, Paramus, 113-2 (21).High jump: 1. Olyvia Burrell, Emerson, 5-6 (t-3; 10B); 2. Mackenzie Beazley, Passaic Valley, 5-4 (t-6; 7P); 3. Analise Feliz, Becton, 5-2 (t-12; 72B); 4. Ten tied at 5-0.Long jump: 1. Lexi Samperi, Hasbrouck Heights and Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 19-0 (t-1; 6B); 3. Abby Romero, IHA, 18-7 3/4 (7; 12B); 4. Julia Tozduman, Lyndhurst, 18-7 1/2 (8; 13B); 5. Grace McQueeney, River Dell, 18-6 3/4 (9; 18B).Triple jump: 1. Kailey Attali, Demarest, 37-8 (8; 25B); 2. Abby Romero, IHA, 37-1 1/2 (13; 42B); 3. Calyse Villaneuva, Passaic Tech, 36-10 (17; 14P); 4. Julia Tozduman, Lyndhurst, 36-5 (23; 70B); 5. Yasemin Ugurlu, Lyndhurst, 35-11.100: 1. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 12.07 (10; 6B); 2. Gina Certo, Holy Angels, 12.24 (19; 20B); 3. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 12.46 (46B); 4. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 12.49 (50B); 5. Morgan Levine, River Dell, 12.52 (53B).200: 1. Gina Certo, Holy Angels, 24.81 (10; 11B); 2. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 24.88 (15; 13B); 3. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 24.91 (17; 16B); 4. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 25.01 (18; 19B); 5. Alexa Birch, Northern Highlands, 25.96.400: 1. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 55.43 (2; 5B); 2. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 55.70 (4; 7B); 3. Gina Certo, Hackensack, 55.73 (5; 8B); 4. Siena Kannenberg, Mahwah, 59.16; 5. Olivia Passero, Hawthorne, 59.59 (61P).800: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 2:14.31 (11; 2:11.07 in 2022 is 12B); 2. Kara Langbaum, Wayne Hills, 2:16.59 (22; 8P); 3. Kate Marie Monaco, Ramsey, 2:16.97 (23; 65B); 4. Cellina Rabolli, Ridgewood, 2:18.51; 5. Rebecca Maclaren, Northern Highlands, 2:18.56.1,600: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 4:58.44 (5; 4:48.19 in 2022 is 3B); 2. Kara Langbaum, Wayne Hills, 5:10.85 (19P); 3. Avery Sheridan, Ridgewood, 5:10.86 (93B); 4. Autumn Ritter, Northern Highlands, 5:18.55; 5. Alexa Friedland, Ramsey, 5:20.10.3,200: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 11:18.03 (10:46.36 in 2021 is 16B); 2. Amelia Keogh, Ramapo, 11:24.02 (94B); 3. Ciara Clinton, West Milford, 11:29.53 (34P); 4. Cellina Rabolli, Ridgewood, 11:30.34; 5. Allie Courtney, Northern Highlands, 11:34.18.100 HH: 1. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 14.09 (2; 2B); 2. Kailey Attali, Demarest, 15.13 (15; 36B); 3. Maura Alden, Pascack Hills, 15.29 (18; 52B); 4. Anna Bryan-Jones, Northern Highlands, 15.48 (24; 67B); 5. Fibianna Ajetunmobi, New Milford, 15.54 (72B).400 IH: 1. Olivia Passero, Hawthorne, 64.37 (16; 19P); 2. Anna Bryan-Jones, Northern Highlands, 64.99 (20; 91B); 3. Bra Brassel, Ridgewood, 65.08; 4. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 66.09; 5. Elizabeth Burgess, IHA, 66.39.a By Paul Schwartz NorthJersey.comFull Article – Top Returning Athlete Full Article – Team

Giordano Sisters Basketball 2024 video

Mar 23, 2024

Not too many teams have 3 sisters on their varsity team. At Old Tappan High School they had super sisters playing together.The Giordano SistersMaya Giordano, Sr, Layla Giordano, Sr, & Joley Giordano, FrBelow is link to their highlight video of the three of them playing.

Girls basketball: 2024 North Jersey All-Group teams

Mar 16, 2024

Girls basketball: 2024 North Jersey Group 3 TeamLayla Giordano, Old Tappan seniorMaya Giordano, Old Tappan seniorCelina Bussanich, Pascack Valley juniorLexi Carnegie, Teaneck sophomoreSienna Corey, Northern Highlands seniorOlivia Isaacson, Wayne Valley seniorCayla Menicola, Ramapo seniorGabriella Mittelman, Demarest sophomoreMorgan Sconza, River Dell sophomoreSiena Shuster, Wayne Hills seniorDemi Simpson, Teaneck senior

North Jersey 2023/24 Season Milestones & Highlights – Girls Basketball

Mar 14, 2024

Final 2023-24 division standingsNATIONAL: Old Tappan 8-2 (Co-Champs), Teaneck 8-2, Demarest 7-3, Pascack Valley 5-5, Tenafly 2-8, Bergenfield 0-10.Final 2023-24 North Jersey scoring leadersLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, 16.5 (487)Maya Giordano, Old Tappan 10.6 (270)1,000-point career scorersThis list is based on scores reported to NorthJersey.com by coaches. All players are seniors unless otherwise noted.Allie Shenloogian, Park Ridge: 1,676 (junior)Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus: 1,648Kylie Cabana, Bogota/Paramus Catholic: 1,599Samantha Serrano, Holy Angels: 1,443Katie Reiner, Becton: 1,385 (junior)Cristina Parrella, Demarest/Saddle River Day: 1,346Erin Fahy, Cresskill: 1,257Jessaiah Reynoso, Passaic: 1,238 (junior)Cayla Menicola, Mahwah/Ramapo: 1,149Kate Walsh, Westwood: 1,197Layla Giordano, Old Tappan: 1,053 There are 13 North Jersey coaches who have accumulated 400 or more wins, predominantly at Big North/NJIC schools:North Jersey Coaching Wins List1,119: Jeff Jasper, Pascack Valley (1973-present)809: Sue Liddy, Holy Angels (1974-present678: John Sterling, Bogota/Wood-Ridge/Secaucus (1990-present)644: Paula LaSalandra, DePaul (1974-2006)608: Jeff Horohonich, Hawthorne/Hanover Park/IHA/IC/Saddle Brook (1984-2021)557: Steve King, Eastern Christian (1975-2011)547: Dave Cieplicki, Dumont (1983-2022)535: Jack Rodgers, Harrison (1980-2006)518: Brian Dunn, Pascack Hills/Old Tappan (1994-present)

Teaneck presses its way past Old Tappan to hoist 2nd straight N1G3 title

Mar 02, 2024

Teaneck coach Brad Allen stood on his team’s home court holding two trophies, one in each arm. A year ago, Teaneck’s group of players had never played in a sectional final, and it would’ve been easy to question if they were up to the task. They won the sectional title a year when expectations were lower. That wasn’t the case this year. Teaneck expected to get back the sectional final because it had a strong group of players returning. However, Allen’s team dealt with a myriad of injuries, including losing arguably its best player in sophomore Lexi Carnegie, who sustained a season-ending knee injury. And as it has all season, Teaneck fought through the adversity and showed resilience on Saturday to come away with another trophy.Behind its suffocating press defense, which forced numerous turnovers, top-seeded Teaneck, the No. 18 team in the NJ.com Top 20, defeated second-seeded Old Tappan, 59-46, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 sectional final in front of a raucous home crowd.Teaneck (23-7) advances to the Group 3 semifinals, where it will face Chatham, the No. 13 team in the NJ.com Top 20, on Wednesday at Ramapo. It’s Teaneck’s second consecutive North 1, Group 3 sectional title, and it comes a year after Allen’s squad captured its first one in a decade. Allen held both trophies in his hands while his team celebrated a hard-fought win against a familiar opponent in Old Tappan, with Saturday’s contest being the fourth time the two teams have played each other this season, with Teaneck coming out on top three times.Old Tappan (23-7) jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first quarter, but Teaneck clawed its way back, tightening the screws on its press defense and using the experience of last year’s sectional title to lean on. “Every single player came back knowing what it means to feel like a champion,” Allen said. “So we practiced it every day, we prepared every day, and we fought every day. And despite all of the injuries, the external scenarios, the illness, they were resilient, and we got another championship.” Teaneck senior Erin Frazier posted a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while sophomore Jillian Carter added 14 points and senior Demi Simpson had 13 points and eight rebounds.The press defense carried Teaneck in the second half, allowing Allen’s squad to take control. The contest was tied at 20 at halftime before Teaneck went on an 11-2 run in the third quarter, taking a 34-25 lead it would not relinquish. “In the third quarter, we didn’t allow them to pass half court until three minutes to go,” Allen said. “Everybody did exactly what we told them to do at halftime, and it worked out really well.”Old Tappan continued fighting to the final minutes of the game, but couldn’t overcome Teaneck’s relentless press. Senior Layla Giordano scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Grayson Housley and Alivia Badurina both score nine points.Teaneck lost in the Group 3 semifinals to eventual Group 3-runners up Randolph. That loss was a valuable experience for Allen’s team, which has circled getting back to that game. They have the opportunity to change that result on Wednesday. “It’s amazing. We’re making history and we’re chasing history,” Simpson said. “The job is not finished.”By Luis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comPhotos By Tom Horak | For NJ Advance MediaLayla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan drives towards the net against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Maya Giordano (45) of Old Tappan and Demi Simpson (23) of Teaneck battle for a rebound during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Erin Frazier (12) of Teaneck shoots the ball against Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn directs his team against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan beats the buzzer on a three to end the third quarter against Sanai Geddies (11) of Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan celebrates with her team after hitting a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Erin Frazier (12) of Teaneck shoots the ball against Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan is fired up after scoring a basket against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan shoots the ball against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan reacts after hitting a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.

Old Tappan will play for sectional championships – Girls Basketball

Mar 01, 2024

Old Tappan at Teaneck for the North 1, Group 3 TitleThe public sectional semifinals in the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament wrapped up Wednesday and Thursday.WHAT TO KNOW: The No. 1 seed Highwaywomen (22-7) are the defending section champs. They are also co-champs of the Big North National Division this season, along with No. 2 Old Tappan (23-6).To recap: Teaneck won at Old Tappan in January, 48-40. The Golden Knights returned the favor in Teaneck, 65-59 on Feb. 6. Four days later, when they met in the Bergen County semifinals at Fair Lawn, the Highwaywomen prevailed, 51-45.“Round 4 will be the hardest,” Teaneck coach Brad Allen said after Thursday’s 45-37 semifinal win over Demarest. “Obviously, there’s much more to play for this time. Both teams will battle it out until the very last whistle.”Old Tappan reached the final by fending off Ramapo, 61-58, in the semis. The Golden Knights have won 15-of-16, and during that run, senior Layla Giordano scored her 1,000th career point during a Feb. 27 quarterfinal victory vs. West Essex.POSTSEASON HISTORY: Teaneck is in its second consecutive final and tends to qualify in streaks. The program reached eight straight North 1, Group 3 title games from 2007-14, winning four.Old Tappan is in its first sectional final since 2018, and that culminated a string of four in a row – three of which led to titles, with two of them preceding Group 3 state championships.KEY PLAYERS: Giordano (15.5 points per game) and her twin sister Maya (9.6) supply the Golden Knights’ frontcourt power, and sophomores Mia Derrico and Sienna Drullinsky provide strong guard play.Teaneck has its own fantastic forwards in seniors Demi Simpson (13.2 points, 13 rebounds per game) and Erin Frazier (9.1 points, 9.7 rebounds), while frosh Leayana Dorville has become indispensable following a season-ending injury to PG Lexi Carnegie.North 1, Group 3: Old Tappan, TeaneckWHEN/WHERE: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Teaneck

Previews & Picks Group 3 girls basketball NJSIAA Tournament semifinals

Feb 28, 2024

The 2023-24 girls basketball state tournament keeps moving along, and we’re on to the sectional semifinals.Below, find a quick breakdown and picks for each of Thursday’s North 1 Group 3 semifinals.3-Ramapo at 2-Old TappanRamapo and Old Tappan will meet for the second time this season after Ramapo had a hard-fought win over sixth-seeded Northern Highlands in the quarterfinals, while Old Tappan beat 10th-seeded West Essex in the quarterfinals. Old Tappan won the first meeting 43-34 on Dec. 16, the second game of the season for both teams. Ramapo has been strong defensively this season and will have to try and contain Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano, who scored her 1,000th career point in the win over West Essex.The pick: Old Tappan5-Demarest at 1-TeaneckDemarest defeated fellow Big North Conference opponent and fourth-seeded River Dell to advance to the semifinals, while Teaneck had a hard-fought win over eighth-seeded Morris Knolls. Demarest and Teaneck’s semifinal contest will be the third time this season that the two teams will play each other. Teaneck won the first meeting, while Demarest won the second contest. Both coaches are likely going to come up with a wrinkle or two on Thursday compared to the first two meetings. Controlling the glass is also going to play a factor as far as who comes out on top.The Pick: Teaneck

Old Tappan Advances to State Sectional Semifinals

Feb 27, 2024

North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 quarterfinals#2 Old Tappan vs #10 West EssexFor the second consecutive year, second-seeded Old Tappan will appear in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 semifinals after defeating 10th-seeded West Essex 46-35 in Old Tappan. This was also a day that saw Layla Giordano score her 1,000th career point as she led her team with 17.Old Tappan (22-6) finished the first quarter up 14-2, but West Essex (15-13) chipped away in the second and third to make it a four-point game heading into the fourth. But late in the 4th quarter, Maya Giordano (9 points) returned to the court after early foul trouble to help Old Tappan take control as they outscored West Essex 16-9 in the final quarter. Giordano Sisters netted 26 points for Old Tappan in the win.Old Tappan will face third-seeded Ramapo in the semifinals on Thursday. The Golden Knights have also won 14 of their last 15 games.Proud Grandmothers of Maya and Layla Giordano

NJSIAA Tournament quarterfinal picks for North 1 Group 3

Feb 26, 2024

NORTH 1, GROUP 310-West Essex at 2-Old TappanWest Essex pulled off a minor upset when it defeated seventh-seeded and Passaic County Tournament Wayne Hills in the first round. Old Tappan advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over fellow division opponent and 15th-seeded Tenafly. West Essex seems to have found its footing right as the state tournament got underway. Old Tappan has been playing well over the last month. They hope to continue to see outstanding performances from the Giordano Twins. The pick: Old Tappan8-Morris Knolls at 1-TeaneckMorris Knolls came away with a hard-fought win over ninth-seeded Pascack Valley in the first round, while Teaneck, the No. 20 team in the NJ.com Top 20 and defending sectional champions, defeated 16th-seeded Roxbury. Morris Knolls will have to find a way to control the glass against a Teaneck team that is among the best rounding teams in the state. The pick: Teaneck5-Demarest at 4-River DellTwo Big North Conference teams will meet for the first time this season when River Dell hosts Demarest. Demarest is coming off a first-round win over 12th-seeded Morris Hills, while River Dell beat 13th-seeded Montville in a high scoring game. Expect defense to be the key for the winner in this contest. The pick: Demarest6-Northern Highlands at 3-RamapoNorthern Highlands and Ramapo will be meeting for the third time this season after Northern Highlands defeated 11th-seeded Sparta and Ramapo beat 14th-seeded Wayne Valley. Ramapo won the first two meetings this season, but the old saying is it’s hard to beat a good team three times. The team that probably puts in the most wrinkles from their first two matchups has a good chance at advancing to the semifinals. The pick: RamapoByLauren Knego | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comLuis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan Disappointed with loss to Teaneck in County Tournament

Feb 10, 2024

FAIR LAWN – Teaneck sprinted out with an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter to bolt past Old Tappan, 51-45, in the semifinals of the 49th Annual BCWCA Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon. The Highwaywomen face Saddle River Day, 89-45 winners over Holy Angels, for the championship on Wednesday night.Teaneck beat Saddle River Day, 61-57, Jan. 6 and coach Brad Allen believes that will help his team.“Our team meeting Saddle River Day once is a good thing,” he said. “We’re familiar with the players and some of the things they do. We’re not going in not knowing their capability and their skill level. We have film and we have a scout and [now] we’re going to sit down again and see them play.”Suffocating defense was key to the Teaneck run as the Highwaywomen converted turnovers into baskets. They tallied 8 points in the first minute and a half to erase Old Tappan’s 35-32 third quarter lead.“Our main objective is defense – in our system and our program,” said Allen. “I told them we can’t win this game without playing defense. So we went back to our man press and it worked out very well for us. That’s the one thing we were great at in the beginning of the season. We had injuries and we were using different lineups and we kind of got away from that. So now that everyone’s getting healthy and back in the mix we’re getting back to what we were doing early in the season.”Freshman Leayana Dorville opened the fourth quarter with a basket from in close, senior Demi Simpson canned a pair of jumpers and junior Imani McKenzie hit from the corner to give Teaneck a 40-35 lead.After two timeouts by Old Tappan Teaneck senior Erin Frazier drained a free throw and Simpson drove and scored off a great pass from Dorville and the lead grew to 43-35 with 3:23 to go in the game.A lot of Teaneck’s success was a result of superior rebounding, something they didn’t have when they lost to Old Tappan last Tuesday.“On Tuesday there was a big rebounding edge for Old Tappan when we lost the game,” said Allen. “So in practice this week we focused on boxing out and grabbing every rebound, making sure we hit the boards and getting second chance opportunities. That was the one thing that was missing on Tuesday. We worked on that the next couple of days, including the Tenafly game, and it worked out well.”Simpson was particularly effective, pulling down 14 rebounds to go along with her 18 points.“We sat Demi out Tuesday because she was sick so she made a big difference from a rebounding perspective,” said Allen. “The girls played so hard Tuesday – we lost by six – but it was a tough game that was played so we knew with her back in the lineup it would make a difference.”“I owed it to my teammates,” Simpson said. “I wasn’t there last week or on Tuesday – so I was definitely working to get back. [Rebounding] just kind of comes to me with my teammates – all of us communicating on the floor, boxing out, playing together.”Frazier scored 4 points and chipped in with 7 rebounds and 3 steals, sophomore Jillian Carter had 9 points, while Dorville finished with 8 points.“They’ve been playing to their potential,” Allen said of his team. “The good part about this team is we can go 10 deep. We played nine today and that’s without Lexi (Carnegie, a sophomore who tore her ACL a week after the game against Saddle River Day). If you can play nine without a First Team All-State caliber player then you have a good team.”Old Tappan managed to score 10 points in the final three minutes led by sophomore Sadie Murphy who swished two 3-pointers to finish with 9 points in the game. Senior Maya Giordano led the way with 14 points and 6 assists, while Maya’s twin sister, Layla, scored 12 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 steals.“We knew what we wanted to do,” said Simpson. “We use our basketball IQ. It was really more of a mental thing – knowing we were up and didn’t need to score. We needed to slow the game down – we’re not playing with a shot clock. It was really just us playing together and focusing on the end goal.”Teaneck improved to 19-6, while Old Tappan fell to 18-6.“The last time Teaneck went to the county finals was 2012 and they won,” said Allen. “Some of the alumni from that team come and help us practice. They teach us the history and the girls know them personally so there is that personal connection. That drives them a little bit. It’s like a sisterhood – so it’s big sister and little sister moments. They’re telling them of the experience so they’re living examples of what we are trying to achieve.”“We’re chasing history,” added Simpson. “Teaneck hasn’t won counties in over 10 years. It really is unbelievable. Everyone wants to win. We’re grateful. We’re not scared – it’s survive and advance and we’re ready for the next game.” By JC Baumuller/NJS.com Staff Writer

No. 19 Old Tappan wins 10th straight behind stout defense in win over Pascack Valley

Feb 08, 2024

Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn knew there would be some peaks and valleys heading into this season.It was bound to happen after the graduation of key seniors from a team last season that won 22 games and reached the semifinals of the North 1, Group 3 sectional tournament.There was a peak early in the season, one in which Old Tappan won its first five games before back-to-back losses. A valley came in early January, which saw three consecutive losses. But those three straight losses seemed to have been an awakening for Old Tappan and Dunn’s team.Since then, Old Tappan has yet to lose a game. Dunn’s squad is peaking at the right time, and they peaked in the second half against Pascack Valley on Thursday as No. 19 Old Tappan used stifling defense in the second half to roll to a 54-27 victory in a Big North Conference National Division matchup.The win was Old Tappan’s 10th consecutive victory as the Golden Knights improved to 18-5 on the year. Old Tappan’s stifling defense allowed just seven points in the second half after leading 27-20 at halftimeSenior Layla Giordano led all scorers with 24 points, while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out four assists.“We were a really young team heading into the season. We graduated a lot of people last year, so I think we had to try out a lot of things to get to the combinations we have right now,” Giordano said. “Our schedule is very hard compared to a lot of other teams, and I think that’s really helping us.”Giordano, a state champion in both the discus and shot put, was a force on defense in the second half and was able to get going on offense early in the contest.She knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers and seems to be finding her form from beyond the arc in the last two games, making seven of her 12 3-pointers for the season.“It’s very rare that happens for me, but it’s been cool. The last few games I’ve been able to shoot a couple threes, and that’s been able to help out our team a lot,” Giordano said.Twin sister Maya Giordano chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.Pascack Valley junior Celina Bussanich scored a team-high 14 points. Link to Photos

Old Tappan back in NJ’s Top 20 Rankings – Girls Basketball

Feb 08, 2024

Girls Basketball Top 20, Feb. 8:It’s tournament time for the 2023-24 girls basketball season. More specifically, county tournament time. We’re getting close to crowing county tournament champions as teams are currently in the thick of having county bragging rights. The state tournament power point cutoff is also on Saturday, meaning games up through Saturday will determine how the state tournament will be seeded.The latest NJ.com girls basketball rankings sees some changes around the top, but the elite teams continue to prove why they are elite. Some upsets caused some reshuffling in the back half of the rankings. While some familiar teams, Old Tappan, sneaks back into the top 20, as they continue their winning ways late in the season. Old Tappan is on a 9 game winning streak, with key wins against Pascack Valley, Jefferson, Demarest, and Teaneck. .Here is the NJ.com Top 20 for Feb. 8:19-Old Tappan (17-5)Last week: UnrankedOld Tappan has won nine-straight games since their three-straight losses back in early January. Old Tappan will face Pascack Valley on Thursday before playing Teaneck in the Bergen County Tournament semifinals on Saturday. With a win on Saturday in the semifinals, Old Tappan will be the first Pubic School to appear in the finals since 2018

Housley Steals a win for Old Tappan & Coach Dunn’s 500th Girls Basketball Win

Dec 22, 2023

Dunn gets his 500th as Old Tappan improves to 5-0 OLD TAPPAN – Brian Dunn’s first job in education came with a head coaching position at Pascack Hills High School. When he moved over to Northern Valley/Old Tappan a year later he thought his days as a girls basketball coach had already come and gone.“After that year I switched to teaching at Old Tappan and I thought I was done with girls hoops,” said Dunn. “I moved over here and wanted to continue coaching, but I thought it was going to be in football in baseball.”He was half-right. Dunn has gone on to become one of the most successful football coaches in the history of Bergen County public school football, but he has also become inseparable from local girls basketball. After Old Tappan beat Ridgewood, 47-31, on Thursday afternoon, Dunn was holding up a banner prepared by his players in honor of his 500th victory in a career that includes two outright Group 3 state championships (2016 & 2018).“After a year away [from girls basketball] when I got here I came back and coach the freshmen squad for Marty Doherty,” said Dunn. “Then Marty retired, they asked me to take the job. I did and here we are.”Grayson Housley and the Giordano twins, Maya and Layla, have been through this drill before. The three seniors were all on the floor when Old Tappan volleyball coach Melissa Landeck recorded her 500th career victory in the fall and all three were instrumental in Thursday’s win.Housley led a smothering defensive effort with six steals as Old Tappan held Ridgewood to just 11 made field goals in the game. Representing the 07647, Maya Giordano scored four straight points late in the second quarter as the Knights started to pull away and Layla finished with a game-high 20 points, 15 of them in the second half in which Old Tappan maintained a double-digit cushion for the final 10:13“It is crazy that Landeck got it and that Dunn got it in the same year and we were here for both. Next has to be P[eter] Dunn in track. We have to see how many wins he has,” said Maya Giordano, who, like her sister, is a three-sport standout. “We have known [Brian] Dunn for so long. We were at the game when he won his 400th, so to be out there playing for him when he won his 500th game is a real honor.”Dunn entered the season with 495 wins and it has been an all-out sprint to .500. The season started on December 14 and on December 21 the Golden Knights improved to 5-0 heading into a brief holiday break before they play in the Joe Poli Tournament at Pascack Valley next week.“It’s been hectic and a little crazy, but today was very exciting,” said Housely, “To think that Coach Dunn has been doing this for more than 25 years and that he has now won 500 games, it is so well-deserved. He is a really good coach, he has taught us so much and I am really happy for him.”Up against a daunting early schedule and with three sophomores in the starting lineup, Ridgewood (1-3) is off to a bumpy start that got a bit rougher when Catie Klemm rolled an ankle early in the opening quarter. The Maroons hung in there, however, and scored the final six points of the opening stanza, the last three on Quinn Duffy’s 3-pointer from the corner that left her team trailing by just two points, 11-9, heading into the second quarter.There was a further opening when Layla Giordano picked up an offensive foul, her second personal, 1:18 into the second quarter and went to the bench for the rest of the half, but instead the Knights extended their advantage. After two missed Ridgewood free throws that could have tied the game, Sienna Drullinsky cut to the basket and scored off an assist from Maya Giordano (6 points) to kick off a 9-2 run that pushed the OT lead to 20-11.Emily Bussanich scored the final two points of the first half and the first two of the third quarter to get Ridgewood to within 20-15, but Maya Giordano answered with a bucket on the block to reestablish the Knights’ offense and they outscored the Maroons 15-8 in the period to take a 35-21 advantage into the final quarter.The Giordanos, the only two seniors in the starting lineup that also included three sophomores combined to score more than half of the Knights’ points, but others took turns in support. Mia Derrico added 9 points and was 3-for-4 from the free throw line where OT went 8 for 14 as a team. Alivia Badurina scored 7 points to lead the second unit, Housley and Drullinsky each made a field goal and Sadie Murphy’s fourth quarter free throw rounded out the scoring for the Knights.“We have a really young team, so me and Maya really have to communicate on the floor and try to guide all of the sophomores that are starting with us,” said Layla Giordano, who plays a lot as a point-forward and also a slasher from the wings. “I think it helps a lot that we have experience, we both have played since our freshman year, and we can help them with their journey on the court.”Bussanich led Ridgewood with 7 points, Duffy added 6, Morino and Alysha Arora each added 5. Taylor Douma, Kelsey Shafer and Lucy Bjerke all added field goals for the Maroons, who were just 7 of 22 combined from the line and just 2 for 12 in the third quarter when the game slipped out of reach.

Dunn joins 500-win club as Old Tappan remains undefeated with win over Ridgewood

Dec 22, 2023

Brian Dunn has had a lot of success as the head football coach at Old Tappan High School, and it turns out he’s also pretty good at coaching girls basketball too.Dunn, who is in his 27th season as the head girls basketball coach, celebrated his 500th career victory on Thursday night with a 47-31 victory over Ridgewood. He now joins a host of other coaches who have reached the milestone, including Chatham’s Joe Gaba, who won his 500th game on Dec. 14.“All it means is that I’m getting older, to be honest. It feels good to know that I’ve been able to last this long (coaching), I love it,”Dunn said. “The most important part is it’s meant a lot of relationships developed over a long period of time, so that’s the biggest part of it.“People say your job isn’t who you are, but it’s kind of who I have been for a long time. I love the place, it’s a great place to work, everybody’s been good to me for a long time. I live right there in the community so it’s nice that I still have all of the connections and see all the people around, former players and parents and all that, so that part is always special. It didn’t take getting to a certain game to make that part special though.”Dunn coached his very first season at Pascack Hills before moving over to Old Tappan, which is ranked No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, and he has been there ever since, winning two Group 3 titles with the Golden Knights in 2016 and 2018.“Five hundred is even more impressive when you consider the strength of schedule he seeks every year within our league and through independent games,” Old Tappan assistant coach Christine Massaro said. “He could pad his stats and have many more wins if he sought up cupcake games, but he wants to challenge our team and see where we stack up and what we need to improve on. By doing that and maybe taking some tough early season losses, he ensures that the team is battle tested. He’s never about himself or his stats, he sets the tone for a team-first mentality. And what’s more, he always sets the bar at 20 wins at minimum, because that would mean you went deep in counties and state tournament. I know personally from playing for him four years and coaching with him for 19 seasons now. He sets the bar high for Old Tappan basketball.”Coaching two sports isn’t an easy task, especially two sports that are completely different from each other and require a lot of work, before, during and after the season itself. But Dunn doesn’t shy away from the challenges of coaching two sports in back-to-back seasons, and instead embraces it.“It’s hard, it’s getting harder every year just from being able to handle all of the things that are required year-round, but I love it, it keeps me busy,” Dunn said. “If I didn’t enjoy it I’d give up one or the other, but I still love doing both. I love coaching two completely different sports, boys and girls, not that I coach them any different, coach them both the same as athletes, but they’re two different animals and I enjoy both of them.”The win over Ridgewood on Thursday night was the fifth-straight win of the season for the Golden Knights, which also has victories over Holy Angels, Ramapo, Paramus Catholic and Wayne Valley. Old Tappan has held its opponents to an average of 38 points per game so far and are currently atop the Big North National Division.Senior twins Layla Giordano (16 ppg.) and Maya Giordano (11.8 ppg) lead the team, while Alivia Badurina (5.8 ppg.), Mia Derrico (6.8 ppg.) and Sienna Drullinsky (4.2 ppg.) have also contributed.“That’s the biggest thing I’m happy about, we played five games in eight days to start the season, and I’ve never done that before in 27 years,” Dunn said. “So that was a grind and I’m really proud of our kids. We’re playing some young kids, some young guards but I have these two twins, the Giordano kids, we always have a shot against anybody with them on the floor, so I’m proud of those kids. Just having them out there and starting the season off the way we did is great, but being around them every day makes the job so fun.”

Dunn earns 500th win, No. 19 Old Tappan defeats Ridgewood – Girls Basketball

Dec 21, 2023

Head coach Brian Dunn earned his 500th win with Old Tappan, No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, as it defeated Ridgewood 47-31 in Old Tappan. Old Tappan (5-0) took a 20-13 lead into halftime before pulling away in the second half and outscoring Ridgewood 27-18. Layla Giordano led her team with 20 points. Maya Giordano with 6 points. The Giordano’s helped to add 50+ wins to Dunn’s 500 win total through their career. Dunn joins Chatham’s Joe Gaba as the second girls’ basketball coach to reach 500 wins this season as Gaba did in an opening-night win over Montville. Ridgewood fell to 1-3.

Old Tappan Cracks NJ’s Top 20 Early in the Season – Girls Basketball

Dec 21, 2023

Girls Basketball Top 20, Dec. 21:Week 1 stunners lead to upheaval in rankings The opening week of the 2023-24 girls basketball season came and went. The top teams and players in the state took basketball courts around the state and proved themselves against each other as well as others facing some top teams from out of the state. The first week of the season featured plenty of upsets with previously unranked teams knocking off ranked teams as well as ranked teams beating other ranked teams. Holiday showcases are around the corner, with several marquee ones taking place in New Jersey that includes some of the top teams. Others will be going out of state to prove themselves against top competition.19-Old Tappan (4-0)Last week: UnrankedOld Tappan finds itself in the Top 20 this week after starting the season at 4-0. The Golden Knights opened with wins over Holy Angels, Ramapo, Paramus Catholic and Wayne Valley and are currently atop the Big North National Division. Led by seniors Layla and Maya Giordano, Old Tappan will look to remain undefeated against Ridgewood and River Dell.

Brick City Showcase: Old Tappan edges Paramus Catholic

Dec 17, 2023

Old Tappan got a great performance from Mia Derrico, who scored 15 points to lead her team to a narrow 52-51 victory over Paramus Catholic in the Brick City Showcase at Essex County College. The Giordano sisters had a strong game for Old Tappan, with Maya and Layla Giordano each scoring 13 points apiece.Down by five in the second half, Old Tappan stayed the course and wound up taking a two-point lead at the end of the third quarter. In a seesaw fourth quarter, Old Tappan scored the timely buckets needed to win.

Giordanos of Old Tappan & Saxtons of Ramapo Battle in Early Season Matchup

Dec 16, 2023

Old Tappan Girls Defeats RamapoGirls BasketballNot many times in High School Sports will you see three sisters on each team playing each other. The Saxton’s & the Giordano’s battled every minute of the game. Ending with Old Tappan having a strong 4th quarter to take the win.Giordanos: #45 Maya, #5 Layla & #23 JoleySaxtons: #44 Ella, #4 Maddie & #43 Grace.🏀 Old Tappan girls basketball won against Ramapo at Ramapo High School 43 – 34.🌟 Key players in the game included OT #5 Layla Giordano & OT Maya Giordanohttps://giordanoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-22-at-8.46.19-AM.pnghttps://giordanoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-22-at-8.37.08-AM-1536x1049.png

Giordanos conspire to lead Old Tappan by Holy Angels

Dec 14, 2023

Seniors Layla and Maya Giordano scored 16 points each as Old Tappan edged Holy Angels 40-37. Old Tappan turned a one-point deficit into a four-point lead with an 11-6 second quarter.

Old Tappan extends its perfect start to 3-0 – Girls Volleyball

Sep 14, 2023

OLD TAPPAN – Northern Valley Old Tappan’s volleyball team, fresh off a win over a loaded field at the Hendrick Hudson Tournament this past weekend, used balanced scoring and strong defense en route to a 2-0 (25-18, 25-18) win over Pascack Valley in league play on Wednesday night.“I think this team has a lot of potential,” said Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano. “We have depth in all positions and I think we’re looking forward to playing the tough games coming up. Our schedule is pretty good. I’m just excited to see how far this team can go.”“Today we served and passed well,” added coach Melissa Landeck. “Pascack Valley was doing a lot of good things on their side of the net. I know they graduated a lot last year but you can see they’re a team that is going to continue to improve.”Old Tappan trailed only once — when Valley took a 1-0 lead on the first point of the match on a great block by senior middle blocker Mia Hachadourian. The Golden Knights tied and took the lead on a blast by junior Samantha Kranzler and service ace by senior libero Grayson Housley.Panthers junior outside hitter Jillian Feeley tied the game 2-2 with a well-placed kill, but Old Tappan junior outside hitter Brenna Delaney hammered a kill to give the lead back to the Knights. The teams exchanged points and Feeley’s service ace tied the game at 6-all. Maya Giordano gave Old Tappan the lead for good, 7-6, with a thunderous kill, one of the many hard hits in the match. We’re all tall, big girls and we play a lot of other sports, which I think helps,” Maya Giordano said. “We play sports together, we train a lot and we do a lot of stuff outside of volleyball that helps us get ready for the season.” The Old Tappan defense kept Valley from going on any scoring runs so they were able to maintain a 5- to 7-point advantage throughout the first set.“I just think we are good at reading the hitters and where they’re going to hit,” Housley said. “We have good communication and can trust each other. If one of us calls the ball off to someone else we are good at communicating.”“That’s something we talk about all the time,” said Landeck. “Everybody has got to be on the same page, talking on every ball, regardless of what grade they are in or what position they play. When the communication is there we’re just a better team.”Old Tappan jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second set thanks to a block by junior setter Addison Gioffre, a pair of kills by Kranzler, a thunderous kill by Layla Giordano and seven service winners, including an ace, by Delaney. The balanced scoring is something the Knights can use to their advantage.“It’s a benefit for us to use against the other team,” said Maya Giordano. “They never know where the ball is going. Anytime it goes to anyone it’s a kill. We have a lot of great options to confuse the other team and it works so well.”“Every rotation we have options we can use and kids that either get a kill for us or make a smart shot and put it in the court if they don’t have the point,” Landeck added. “We’re also making some good decisions out there.”Later in the second set a service ace by Kranzler boosted the advantage to nine, 13-4, and Valley never got closer than within six points the rest of the way.“We’re fortunate that we have a lot of depth and kids that can play multiple positions,” said Landeck. “We have practiced with several different lineups and played matches. We were just in a tournament. We have a lot of nice options and kids that will contribute in all kinds of ways depending on the day.”Feeley finished with 6 kills and 6 digs, while Hachadourian added 4 kills and 2 blocks and sophomore setter Celia Torres had 9 assists for Valley, who fell to 1-2 on the season. Old Tappan improved to 3-0, as Kranzler led all scorers with 12 kills and also scooped 8 digs. Maya Giordano tallied 6 kills, while Delaney contributed 5 kills. Layla Giordano chipped in with 4 kills. Junior setter Addison Gioffre had a kill, a block and an impressive 29 assists.“We have high expectations for the season,” said Housley. “It’s really fun on and off the court. We do a lot of pasta dinners, a lot of bonding time. But when we’re in the gym we take it seriously. We set high expectations for each other. We call each other out when something bad is happening. Overall it’s good.”“This is the first game where everyone is playing together,” added Layla Giordano. “We had a couple of injuries and I feel as we play together and keep going we become one unit, one family and we can learn to sync together. A lot of us have played together in the past, but we are getting adjusted to this specific team for the rest of the year.”Team Photos & Head Shots