VIDEO: Lower edges Middle as rivals produce another entertaining volleyball match

Posted: October 1st 2025

Lower Cape May's girls volleyball team celebrates its close victory over Middle Township Tuesday afternoon.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – Perhaps the girls volleyball teams from Lower Cape May Regional and Middle Township high schools should figure out a way to play a third time this season.

The teams met for the second time Tuesday afternoon and again produced an entertaining, competitive match. After Middle won two close games to take the first match in early September, Lower evened the season series by winning two close games in Tuesday’s second match between the clubs to take the victory behind identical game scores of 25-21.

“We’ve moved some people around, so I think we have a better lineup from the first time we played them,” Lower coach Greta Pacevich said. “The combination of a better lineup and us having more experience at this point of the year helped us. We’ve learned from our mistakes a little bit. We knew what to expect from them better this time and we knew better how to defend them. Playing at home gives you a certain edge, too. They had it the first time and we had it this time.”

Lower rallied to win the first game. The Lady Tigers trailed by as many as four points but posted eight of the final 10 points to secure the decision. Then in the second game, Lower ran out to leads of 5-0 and 16-11 before Middle surged to twice pull to within a point at 20-19 and 21-20. But Lower won four of the final five points to close out that game as well.

Pacevich credited Harley Siner with helping turn the tide in both games with her serve. Siner was credited with 14 serving points over the two games. Four of her serving points were aces.

“Our serving was a big difference,” Pacevich said. “When we don’t make unforced errors we’re a good team. Toward the end of that first game, Haley served lights out and then she also served really well in the second game.”

Ella Biersbach (eight), Addison Lagares (five) and Melinda Reeves (four) led Lower in kills. Many of their opportunities were set up by Adeline Pacevich, the daughter of the head coach. She recorded 15 assists.

Lower improved to 5-2 with the victory, an excellent start considering how young the team is, with just one senior. The program also lost standout Alyssa Ferrante to graduation from last year.

“We’ve been very competitive and I don’t think a lot of people expected that from us,” coach Pacevich said. “We lost probably the best player in the history of our program from last year and we’re a young team with only one senior and the rest are sophomores and juniors. I don’t think there were super high expectations for us but the girls are playing free and they’re having fun and they believe in each other. This has been one of the most fun groups I’ve ever had to coach.”

Middle, which had won the first match between the teams by scores of 30-28 and 25-20, was led Tuesday by Addison Campbell, who recorded 17 assists and five digs. Sophia Banach had nine kills, K.J. Schaffer had six digs and Karmela Freeman posted three kills.

“We were a little flat,” Middle coach Heather Heun said. “We were coming off a high because we played really, really well against Ocean City (in a 2-1 loss) and we just didn’t fully have it today.”

Still, Middle is also one of the better teams in the Cape-Atlantic League, sitting at a solid 7-4 through 11 matches.

“We’ve been pretty competitive,” Heun said. “They’re playing some great games. They’ve bought into, ‘Hey, we can be a good team and be competitive.’ I’m very pleased with the progress so far. For myself and the coaching staff, this is our third year and we’ve come a long way and that’s great to see. I’m very happy with how the girls are playing.”