Ridge's Tam is Courier News Girls Volleyball Player of Year

When Rachel Tam started high school three years ago, she had to choose between playing soccer or volleyball. This season, the Ridge High School girls volleyball team benefited greatly from her choice. 

Tam helped the Red Devils to a 26-1 record, the Somerset County Tournament title and its first NJSIAA Group IV title in program history. 

VOLLEYBALL: EAST BRUNSWICK'S HOROWITZ IS HNT PLAYER OF YEAR

GYMNASTICS: HILLSBOROUGH'S MOORE IN CN GYMNAST OF YEAR

"She’s extremely athletic, she’s very quick, she’s got what you would call a high volleyball IQ. She understands the game and can anticipate what’s going to happen," Ridge coach Joanne Milot said.

For her efforts, Tam is the 2017 Courier News Girls Volleyball Player of the Year. 

Tam played mostly soccer when she as a youngster, but as she got older she started to feel the pull of volleyball. Both of her parents played in college, and her sister currently plays for Wesleyan University.

"I started playing recreationally, so I started loosely playing when I was 9 and started playing more organized when I was 12 or 13," Tam said. "Most people I talk to start at a younger age, and I started a little later than most."

The late start hasn't seemed to have an adverse affects on the junior. Against Cherokee in the Group IV final, Tam finished with three aces, three assists and 15 digs. 

"The most important part of our team is serve receiving, when you start a game you either serve or receive, and it’s the most difficult aspect of the game," Milot said. "She excels at serve receiving, she’s well above everyone on the team, and one of the best in most of the schools that we play."

According to Milot, Tam is also one of the strongest defenders. 

"She was huge, the first pass is the most important pass and she almost always would receive the first pass," Milot said. "We’ve never had a season like we’ve had so if you’re the No. 1 defender and the No. 1 serve receiver on a team like this, it’s hugely important for the team."

The Red Devils experienced quite the turnaround from last season when they finished 10-11, fell in the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament and didn't even qualify for the state tournament. 

"We had so many skilled players, we never really depended on one specific person. It was evenly distributed throughout the team and not having all of that immense pressure on one person allowed flexibility," Tam said. "We had so many offensive weapons that it made it difficult for teams to play us because they had to worry about all six players, and on the bench we could easily sub in to provide a different look and help in areas we might have been struggling with."

Although Tam is only a junior, she believes that she brought comfort and a sense of energy to the team this year. Tam has been playing club volleyball with a majority of her teammates for years, which has led to strong team chemistry and a familiarity with all of her teammates. 

That will change next year after Ridge graduates six seniors, some of which played an integral part in winning a Group IV title, but with a number of experienced players returning, including Tam, the near future looks bright. 

"I was really fortunate to be a part of the program for three years and that I had an opportunity at a young age to really make a mark in the program and I’m thankful that we could bring home a state title to the program this year," Tam said. "I’m so excited (for next year), it was an amazing season and I know it will be difficult to replicate the success but I’m really optimistic. I’m confident in the players coming up."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego