Complete breakdown of the girls volleyball state tournament in North Jersey

The first round of the state girls volleyball tournament gets underway with matches on Friday. Here is a breakdown of the public and non-public brackets involving North Jersey schools.

North 1, Group 1

Favorite: Bogota

Darkhorse: Cresskill

2021 final: Bogota def. Glen Rock, 25-20, 25-11

The top-seeded Bucs have an active streak of 12 consecutive sectional titles, though the current alignment is only in its third year. Judging by its run to the Bergen County final, there is no reason to think Bogota will relinquish the crown, especially with All-North Jersey standouts Ashanna Caviness (316 kills) and Mia Pimentel (486 assists) leading the way.

Meanwhile, the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds were locked in a duel for the NJIC Patriot title, with Emerson (11-1 division) and Cresskill (10-2) finishing a game apart. The teams split their series, with the Cougars taking the most recent meeting in three sets.

North 1, Group 2

Favorite: River Dell

Darkhorse: Old Tappan

2021 final: Old Tappan def. River Dell, 31-29, 25-19

Odd to think of the defending champs as a “darkhorse”, but River Dell already has defeated the Golden Knights this season. The No. 1 Hawks are hungry to bounce back after bowing to Bogota in the Bergen County semifinals, and they are always balanced on offense and tough on defense – witness senior Alicia Idiculla having almost the same number of kills (136) as digs (135).

No. 3 seed Old Tappan is in the half of the bracket with contenders Sparta (No. 2) and Demarest (No. 6). The Northern Valley schools finished behind Tenafly in the Big North National but can be encouraged on two fronts – their division schedule was good postseason prep, and the Tigers are in a different group.

North 1, Group 3

Favorite: Tenafly

Darkhorse: Paramus

2021 final: Roxbury def. Wayne Valley, 25-23, 25-16

No. 1 seed Tenafly won this section when it debuted in Spring 2021 (and was the highest level of state play during the pandemic). The Tigers fell to Northern Highlands in last year’s quarterfinals and responded with a 13-0 start to this season. Senior Meghan Koehler (365 assists) directs an offense that features three hitters with at least 125 kills.

Paramus quietly recorded the 900th win in program history earlier this season, so from that standpoint, the No. 2 Spartans are not a traditional “darkhorse”. They are, however, seeking their first playoff win since 2016. And don’t discount the Passaic County finalists, No. 4 Wayne Valley and No. 5 Wayne Hills, who might be on track for a fourth meeting this fall.

North 1, Group 4

Favorite: Bergen Tech

Darkhorse: Ridgewood

2021 final: Ridgewood def. Clifton, 25-22, 28-26

Bergen Tech (23-2) is enjoying its best season ever: 16-0 start, the first 20-win season since 2007 and first trip to the Bergen County semifinals in program history. Senior Bryanna Purisima is once again playing at an All-North Jersey level, this year as a setter (401 assists) after doing so as a libero in 2021.

While Matthew Kingsley is coaching the top-seeded Knights, No. 3 Fair Lawn is missing the presence of his daughter, Ashley, who has been sidelined due to injury and sat out the teams’ Oct. 19 meeting. Such a loss makes the Cutters tougher to peg as a darkhorse – especially since Ridgewood has regrouped from heavy graduation losses and a 4-5 start to earn the No. 4 seed.

North 2, Group 1

Favorite: Verona

Darkhorse: Rutherford

2021 final: Verona def. Rutherford, 21-25, 25-18, 25-22

Same song, different verse? No. 1 Verona has won this bracket twice in as many seasons and defeated an NJIC team in the title match both times. No. 2 Rutherford brought home its last sectional trophy as a Group 2 school in 2019, prior to COVID and realignment, and features an all-around standout in senior Hannah Tobin, who leads the team in assists (199) and digs (23).

The Bulldogs split their NJIC National season series with Secaucus, the No. 3 seed, as the division rivals tied for second place. The Patriots are after their first NJSIAA tournament win since the 2014 Group 1 championship.

Non-Public A

Favorite: Immaculate Heart

Darkhorse: Paul VI

2021 final: Paul VI def. Immaculate Heart, 15-25, 25-18, 25-23

The Non-Public brackets do not divide into sections, and it appears the teams from Washington Township and Haddonfield are on a collision course once more. IHA got back to the top of the mountain in Bergen County last weekend and now sets its sights on starting a new streak of state titles, after the Eagles ended their run of 13 in a row last fall.

The emergence of senior Khalia Content (65 kills, 47 blocks) as a complement to All-North Jersey middle Brookelyn Talmadge (273 kills, 41 blocks) means that Immaculate Heart will have a strong front-row presence in every rotation.

Non-Public B

Favorite: Immaculate Conception (Lodi)

Darkhorse: St. Mary (Rutherford)

2021 final: Newark Academy def. Immaculate Conception, 25-18, 25-22

The reigning champion begins its defense as the No. 12 seed, while last year’s runner up is now No. 1 and takes aim at the program’s first state title. Immaculate Conception and No. 2 St. Mary met in the opening round of the Bergen County tournament but have quite a few hurdles to clear to set up a potential rematch. The edge in big-game experience goes to the Blue Wolves and their junior duo of Sydney Kropiewnicki (161 kills, 67 aces) and Anastasia Pesantes (302 assists, 52 aces).

Bumps and digs

In North 2, Group 2, Lodi is the highest seed among Bergen and Passaic teams at No. 5. The Rams take the best record in their 22-year history (15-9) into states after finishing second in the NJIC Meadowlands.

Due to a dearth in Group 1 teams in the southern part of the state, NJIC National team Harrison has been moved down to the Central section once again. The No. 7 Blue Tide is coached by alum Madison Lucas.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ girls volleyball: Complete breakdown of playoffs in North Jersey