Entering the 2026 season as the NJSIAA Group 3 State Champions for the third consecutive year, the PHS volleyball team is looking to continue their streak by adding a fourth title to the mix.
Although a fourth title would make them one of the most successful programs in the area in recent years, the district has overlooked the program since its inception, when players had to pay for equipment out of pocket.
They must quickly rebuild after they lost key players Naomi Lygas ’26, Kaelin Bobetich ’26, and Charlotte Woods ’26. Despite their importance, the team possessed sufficient depth across the two teams, allowing other players to step up. For instance, senior Captain Sedona Arminio ’27 highlights Lily Cao ’28, who has seen her responsibilities on the court shift this season.
“I’m really excited to see Lily play all-around outside,” said Arminio. “Last year, she only played [in the] back row and it’s very interesting to see her completely take on this big role of being an all-around outside, which is a huge responsibility.”
Beyond individual changes, the team is adopting a change in their rotation system, a crucial component in balancing offense and defense. Specifically, the rotation system now plays to the strengths of setters Ruhi Zhou ’30 and Leah Wang ’28.
“Compared to last year, we only had one setter on the court, which is called a 5–1 rotation where we have one setter who would play all six rotations on the court,” said Cao. “This year, however, we’re running a 6–2 rotation where we have two setters and both our setters will always stay in the back row. This is mainly because our setters this year are on the shorter side and they have really strong defense, which is why we keep them in the back row.”
While losing their stars from last year has been acknowledged as a loss for the team, their absence has opened up new opportunities for variety.
“Especially this year, a lot of the upperclassmen and everyone on the team in general has stepped up to take on these positions, and everyone on the team has playing time this year,” said Cao. “I think having everyone be able to step up and be able to play on the team with everyone has allowed us to diversify our offense so that we don’t just have to rely on one or two people on the team and we can all really connect with each other.”
To help facilitate these position changes, the team is emphasizing team chemistry to help acclimate both new team members and returning upperclassmen to their new responsibilities.
“Everyone is trying out different positions and different spots and learning to work with a whole new team,” said Arminio. “Right now we’re really working on communication and team bonding. We’re doing a lot of dinners and after-game lunches to really form those connections.”
Beyond changes within the team, their schedule reflects the team’s desire for a fourth title with the inclusion of more games against opponents outside of the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL), the conference that the Princeton volleyball team plays in.
“We’ve got big out-of-conference games [against teams like] Westfield, Williamstown, [and] Morristown, all those games go beyond the BCSL,” said Head Coach Patricia Manhart. “I’d love to do well during [those games] because that kind of shows how we compare to people from other parts of the state.”
On the other hand, the team is also looking ahead toward next season. Currently, six of the 11 members on the varsity team are seniors, meaning that the program will graduate more than half of its lineup. Although juniors like Cao have shown their ability to step up, there are no sophomores on the varsity roster.
“I think that [the lack of sophomores will] impact the team’s connection, especially on varsity, since there is a gap between JV and varsity and how it works,” said Cao. “I think it’s really important that there are enough upperclassmen, especially next year, that are able to help the upcoming sophomores come into program as well and and be able to adjust to high school and the team overall, and I think that having that gap of a year hurts the team a little bit.”
Even though there may be concerns about upperclassmen helping underclassmen adjust, overall playing experience is not the greatest concern for a team like Princeton, which has benefitted from being more affluent.
“The fact that there are so many people in this town or area that are able to pay for playing experiences and opportunities outside of the regular season makes a huge difference,” said Manhart. “It’s hard to have the time and the resources and the ability to play outside of your high school team.”
Regardless of concerns for next season or ambitions for a “four-peat,” the team is also aiming to maintain a good record in their section. So far, they have accumulated six straight wins and no losses in the BCSL. Overall, the team is looking forward to having a very successful season, to build up a team with many new players, and above all, a potential fourth consecutive state title.