By Ed Kensik
It’s been a rollercoaster start for the Kearny High School girls volleyball team as the fighting Kardinals were about .500 near the midway part of the 2026 season.
On the plus side they have already half (4) of the entire win total in 2025 which was eight, but need to find consistency in the final half of the fall season.
And head coach Vicky Zicopoulos who is leading the Kardinals in her seventh season sees progress in the first half with the goal to get the same result game after game. “Overall, I am happy with the start of the season,” said Zicopoulos. “We are still developing as a team and finding our identity. I have seen a lot of improvement, especially from our younger players. We are still working on consistency, but I like the direction we are going.”
The Kardinals have been feeling out the starting six with several players getting their shot on the floor. “This season, I have been rotating and subbing girls in while trying to determine our definitive starting six,” said Zicopoulos. “Each game has had a different lineup as we continue to develop players and find the right positions.”
The most consistent starters have been starters have been senior Abigaeal Granelli and junior Ailin Garrido at outside, sophomore Samantha Kingalahua at middle, junior Arelis Ruiz Martinez at right side, junior Victoria DaSilva at setter and senior Madison Rodriguez at libero.
The other players contributing as part of the rotation include sophomore Leah Abarca, junior Leah Feliciano, freshman Lilliana Benavides, junior Lizkarla Garriga, junior Arrianna Alvariza, sophomore Nicoly Libaroni, and senior Linda Rebelo. “Each player brings something different to the court, and I want everyone to be ready when their number is called,” she said.
Zicopoulos added that the team’s best qualities include “athleticism’ and fight in them on the court. “I think our strengths are our athleticism and our willingness to compete,” said the Kearny head coach. We have players who can make plays offensively, and we also have a strong work ethic and a willingness to keep fighting for points.”
She added that her charges need to take all the ingredients in the victories into every match for the rest of the 2026 schedule.
“Our best matches have been the ones where we played with consistency and stayed composed,” Zicopoulos added. “When our passing, serving, defense, and communication are working together, we look like the team we can become. Even in matches we didn’t win; we have had stretches of really good volleyball.
And for the Kardinals, the Kearny head coach knows that her team will have to get better on defense and improve on the communication on the floor. “Better defense will allow us to control the ball and execute our offense,” said Zicopoulos. “We also need to play more cohesively as a team and become more consistent as we head into tournament time.”
Kearny is looking to go further in the Hudson County Tournament that starts in early October. The Kardinals were knocked out of the second round of the HCT by Hoboken in 2025. In 2024 Kearny reached the HCT semifinal before falling to Secaucus. The Kardinals are aiming in November to go a round or two more in the state tournament where they fell to Elizabeth in the North 2 Group 4 quarterfinal round in 2025.
In 2026 and leading the way on offense is sophomore Samantha Kingalahua who averages about five kills per match along with senior Abaigeal Granelli who averages about four kills per match. The other top offensive players are a pair of juniors in Ailin Garrido and Victoria DaSilva.
In Kingalahua the Kearny head coach said the sophomore is just touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of her potential in high school volleyball. “What I like most about Samantha is her competitiveness and athleticism,” said Zicopoulos. “She plays with a lot of energy and is not afraid to attack the ball. She has improved tremendously this season and is becoming more confident in her role as a middle. She is still learning, but her potential is exciting, and I expect her to continue making an impact for us.
And it is DaSilva who has picked up a big void on the floor this season. Kearny graduated its setter, which is considered one of the top positions on the floor, in Daniela Mantilla. And DaSilva stepped into the void and has played well averaging more than 10 assists per match.
“Victoria has done a very good job stepping into the setter position,” said the Kearny head coach. “She has shown great potential and continues to improve every day. She has become more comfortable running the offense, communicating with her hitters, and controlling the tempo of the game. She brings good energy and leadership to the court, and with more experience, I think she will continue to grow into the position.”
The stalwart on defense is the libero in Rodriguez with her ‘competitiveness and ‘energy’. “What I like most about Madison is her competitiveness and defensive ability,” added Zicopoulos. “As our libero, she brings energy to the court and works hard to keep plays alive. She has improved her passing, communication, and confidence this season. Madison is an important leader on the court and plays a vital role in helping us control the game defensively.”