The first-year Cherokee girls' volleyball team had a week to remember.

On Tuesday, the Chiefs played their inaugural varsity game against defending Olympic Patriot champion Williamstown. Host Cherokee came back to tie the first game 24-24, before losing the match in two games, 27-25 and 25-14.

"It was exciting to be that close in the first match, especially against a quality program like Williamstown," Cherokee coach Patrick Senft said. "We even had several game points."

After the highly competitive first game, the Chiefs couldn't deal with Braves sophomore Nina Camaioni, a second team All-South Jersey selection by the Courier-Post last season.

"Nina took control of the second game," Senft said of the outside hitter. "We couldn't stop her."

The day after the Williamstown match, Cherokee traveled to Clearview and made school history by winning the program's first varsity match by game scores of 25-13 and 25-16.

"The team rebounded well against Clearview. It was a very competitive match," Senft said.

"The girls just needed to settle down. They started making their serves and they started putting the ball inbounds."

For the historic win, Senft, who is assisted by Rachel Gartenmayer, started junior setter Alex Cifelli, junior outside hitter Ashley Constatino, freshman outside hitter Michelle Ferrari, junior middle hitter Kelly Chambers, freshman opposite Rachel Emig and senior defensive specialist Kaitlin Hiserote.

Also seeing action for the Chiefs were freshman defensive specialist Maureen Smith, sophomore middle hitter Maura Gillespie, senior defensive specialists Allison Ruba and Ashley Peterson and freshman outside hitter Megan Sullivan.

"The players on this first team are setting the tone for the program. They're laying the foundation," Senft said. "We're heavy with freshmen and the JV team is off to a 2-0 start. We're looking forward to the future." More history

Lenape coach Saidah Hart and her first-year Indians won the school's first varsity match Monday with a 2-1 victory over first-year Cinnaminson. The Indians won by game scores of 25-16, 17-25 and 25-20. East world

Cherry Hill East, last season's Group 4 state runner-up, already looks prepared for another title run.

Last Saturday, the Cougars opened their season by winning the Eastern Viking Tournament.

"It was a big victory for our season," Cherry Hill East coach Karl Moehlmann said. "That was the first time we won the Eastern tournament."

The Cougars went 8-0 in pool play before defeating host Eastern 25-21 in the semifinals and Hackensack 25-18 in the one rally score to 25 final.

Cherry Hill East went undefeated despite losing one of its top players, junior outside hitter Laurel Johnson, to a twisted ankle early in pool play.

"Everyone stepped up after Laurel's injury," Moehlmann said.

"And Sam (senior setter Sam Foss) was fantastic. She didn't mishandle a ball. She makes all hitters look good."

Also helping the Cougars win the tournament were junior hitter Jacie Davis, senior middle Heather Leonhardt, junior middle Carolyn Mooney, freshman hitter Aubrey McNally, sophomore defensive specialist Katie Taylor, senior defensive specialist Angela Miller and junior hitter Abbey Greenberg. Love at first spike

It took playing hours and hours of the sport, literally, for first-year St. Joseph coach Kevin Kinsey to catch the volleyball bug.

"During high school, I participated in an all-night volleyball marathon," said Kinsey, who graduated from Oakcrest in 1997. "It was a lot of fun. The sport felt natural to me."

So natural that Kinsey created and organized a school volleyball club. From Oakcrest, Kinsey went on to captain the club team at New Mexico State University.

After graduating college, Kinsey coached volleyball in the Deming, N.M., school system and then at the International Sports Complex in Cherry Hill.

Kinsey also still plays the sport as an outside hitter for a New Jersey Volleyball Association club team.

"Volleyball is still fairly new at St. Joseph, but we have some girls that definitely want to play," Kinsey said.

The Wildcats roster includes senior setters Maddy Lauria and Jessica Eastman, senior hitter Lindsay Idell, junior defensive specialist Emily Delfianara, sophomore hitters Gretchen Weaknecht, Laura Idell, Kathleen McClain and Megan Philip, freshman defensive specialist Emilee Gagnon and freshman setter Samantha Morrison.