Cole Cantada did not want to be a setter. The Randolph senior had spent his career as an outside hitter and libero, and switching positions for his final high school season was not part of the plan. But coach Erik Novack needed someone to step into the role after Kevin Tinio graduated, and he believed Cantada could handle it.
On June 5, Cantada helped prove that decision right. Randolph defeated Ramapo 25-22, 25-21, 25-14 to defend its Group 2 North sectional title, according to the Morristown Daily Record.
"It's awesome. I have no words, that's how awesome it is," Cantada said. "Switching into this role might have hurt the team in the beginning, but over time, it helped. I was on the court doing all that I could. I feel like I did a lot more than in the last sectional final, because I'm touching the ball every single play, no matter what."
Cantada finished with 21 assists, seven digs, six kills, a block, and an ace in the championship match. Alex Henriques also contributed passing duties throughout the season, and Novack was sometimes able to run a 6-2 rotation with Henriques splitting setting responsibilities.
Senior outside hitter Ben Barninger was named Player of the Game. He led the team with 17 kills, added a block, two aces, eight digs, and an assist. Junior outside hitter Jan Rostek contributed nine kills, a block, four digs, and an ace. Senior libero Aedan Perez recorded 10 digs and three assists.
Randolph, now 27-4, never trailed in the sectional final. The Rams responded four times after Ramapo tied the score early in the first set and controlled the match from there. The team has won eight straight games without dropping a set, a run that stretches back to May 12. During that stretch, Randolph also claimed its third Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference tournament title in the event's five-year history.
Tinio, who graduated last year and is now playing libero as a freshman at Widener University, returned to watch the sectional final.
"We tried to come into the season not thinking that we were going to win it again. We just made sure that we worked our hardest on and off the court," Barninger said. "We showed up and left it all on the court."
Randolph faces St. Joseph of Metuchen in the Group 2 state final on June 10 at South Brunswick. It is a rematch the players had been circling since a first scrimmage back on March 17, when Cantada admitted he was not yet ready for the position. Several months later, the Rams are back in the state final.
