East Brunswick's Horowitz is Home News Tribune Volleyball Player of the Year
Becoming the first volleyball player in the history of East Brunswick High School to accumulate 500 kills, so it seems, was the easy part for Jordyn Horowitz. What has proven more difficult is finding just the right spot to display the signed ball and a giant banner her teammates gave her to commemorate the achievement.
The mementos took up temporary residence in the dining room in the Horowitz’s home. After several weeks and some careful consideration, they have been moved to a permanent and prominent place in Jordyn’s room.
They serve as a silent tribute to the outside hitter’s outstanding season.
The Home News Tribune Girls Volleyball Player of the Year led the Bears to their second straight Greater Middlesex Conference title with a victory over Colonia in the final. Horowitz and her teammates topped Hackensack in the first round of the state Group IV Tournament before bowing to Hunterdon Central.
The 5-foot-10 powerhouse finished her career with 646 kills, 396 digs, 32 blocks, 17 assists, 102 service aces and thousands of wonderful memories. Many of them center on the night she collected kill No. 500.
Funny thing is, she was the last to know it. Her teammates gave her a hint before the victory over J.P. Stevens on Sept. 26, telling her she might hit the mark during the game. Only when she spiked one home and saw teammates start to celebrate, however, did she realize it was her 500th kill.
“It was definitely an exciting achievement,” said Horowitz, who also was the Player of the Year last fall. “I actually did not know I was going to get my 500th kill. It was kind of interesting how that came along. I think not only me, but my team worked really hard to help me achieve that goal. So, it was really exciting not just for me, but also for my teammates who worked hard as well.”
Horowitz was moved by her teammates’ joyous reactions. The game was stopped and an announcement was made trumpeting the milestone.
It was one of the rare times the laser-focused Horowitz showed emotion on the court. Maintaining her composure at all times was her trademark. If her team was winning and her teammates were jubilant, she wanted to remain grounded. If her team was struggling and her teammates were down, she didn’t want the opponents to sense it.
As much as she tried to set the tone emotionally for East Brunswick, it was her dynamic play at the net, really, that served as a catalyst. Being able to bound in the air, survey her opponents, find an empty space on the court, take a big wind up and pound the ball toward that space – all in the blink of an eye – was a rare talent she perfected during her senior year.
“She’s very athletic, she’s tall, she’s very strong, she jumps very high,” coach Christian Portera said. “So, her contact point on the ball is a lot higher than all the other girls or a lot of other girls, which allows her to be successful as a hitter. Now, just because a person is tall doesn’t automatically make them a good hitter, but because she is very athletic on top of being tall, on top of her being strong and on top of her putting in all the hours (practicing) – putting all those pieces together allows her to become that elite player.”
Horowitz teamed with Samantha Balsamo, Kayla Benesz and the others to make a formidable team, but she is looking forward to joining the team at Gettysburg. She is excited about the school’s health and science programs. She wants to go into the medical field and work in pediatrics.
Working with children has been her calling since she began volunteering at the Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. She has pitched in to help with science fairs and swimming programs. The hospital helps children facing special health challenges - from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities such as brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues such as autism and mental health.
Horowitz initially wanted to give her time to help out, but it’s hard to say who has gotten more in return: her or the children.
“It was such an accomplishment for them to achieve a movement or a workout,” she said. “That was a big deal for them and also made me feel accomplished as well. So, seeing the smile on their faces made me extremely happy for them and for their families who were watching them. After seeing their smiles, I realized, ‘This is what I want to do. This is how I can make a difference in the world.’”
2017 ALL-GMC VOLLEYBALL
ALL-CONFERENCE
Simone Girgis - Monroe, Nicole Cashman – Old Bridge, Jordyn Horowitz – East Brunswick, Samantha Balasmo - East Brunswick, Olivia Violante - South Brunswick, Brianna Newson - South Brunswick, Manuela Martinez - Colonia, Samantha Ashton - Colonia, Veronica Amuzu - Edison, Caroline Trevino – Bishop Ahr.
Coach of Year - Michael Collins
Sportsmanship - Piscataway
ALL-RED DIVISION
Nicole Cashman - Old Bridge, Simrin Carlsen – J.P. Stevens, Jordyn Horowitz - East Brunswick, Samantha Balsamo - East Brunswick, Olivia Violante - South Brunswick, Brianna Newson - South Brunswick, Samantha Ashton - Colonia, Manuela Martinez - Colonia, Nicolette Delpino - Old Bridge, Kayla Benesz - East Brunswick.
Coach of Year - Christian Portera
Sportsmanship - Colonia
ALL-WHITE DIVISION
Simone Girgis - Monroe, Tara Pietrulewicz - Monroe, Mikaela Cariaso - Monroe, Veronica Amuzu - Edison, Dinah Rabinovich - Edison, Christina Dalton - Piscataway, Renee Hales - North Brunswick, Juliana Impaglia - J.F. Kennedy, Nyah Anderson - Woodbridge, Zahniah Parker - Piscataway.
Coach of Year - Michael Collins
Sportsmanship - Piscataway
ALL-BLUE DIVISION
Caroline Trevino - Bishop Ahr, Megan Crocco - Bishop Ahr, Natasha Espinosa - Bishop Ahr, Jenny Wang - Timothy Christian, Sydney Johnson - Wardlaw-Hartridge, Jackie Shrubsall - Mother Seton, Cararose Coppola - Mother Seton, Rachelle Montilus - Mother Seton, Nancy Tran - South Plainfield, Lindsey Soper - South Plainfield.
Coach of Year - Arlene Jaronczyk
Sportsmanship - Wardlaw-Hartridge