After a competitive few days of tryouts, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School boys’ volleyball team is ready to get straight back into action as soon as April comes around.
The squad will feature a strong base of returning players such as Dev Gandhi, Ethan Romanak, Andrew Zagula, Musa Ahmad, Wesley Lin, Fisayo Ogunsulire, Daksh Bansal, Anthony Channg, Brayden Sullivan, Ridhwan Sharma, Jason Stimpfle, and Ian Tai.
They will be joined by a limited set of players new to the varsity level, including Gerard Kohutis, Nathan Lobo, Daksh Rajput, and Samuel Galindo.
With a mix of veteran players and newcomers, the Panthers are entering the season with a large roster full of wide potential. Among the many reliable players on the team, Coach Corey Romanak is particularly eager to see how senior middle blocker Fisayo Ogunsulire will perform this season.
During the 2025 season, Ogunsulire recorded 59 kills and 43 digs, proving to be a key asset to the team’s evident success.
“Fisayo’s got phenomenal athleticism,” said Coach Romanak. “We lost two of our big offensive players last season, but I know that he’s been really working hard in the offseason by going to open gyms and doing a lot of playing. I’m really excited to see how his leadership and presence on the court will be felt this season.”
Last year, the team finished their regular season with an 18-11 record, a solid mark that took a step back from the dominant 25-5 run the year prior.
In the 2025 Skyland Conference Cup, the Panthers earned a direct trip to the final round but were immediately shut down by Hillsborough High School, 2-0. A year earlier, Bridegwater-Raritan captured the Skyland Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ridge High School.
This season, the team is focused on regaining its former hold at the top of the conference, and Coach Romanak believes this can be achieved by emphasizing team chemistry.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this team comes together,” Romanak said. “I know that there are high expectations for these players. We have some veteran players coming back, and some new guys on the team, so I’m really looking forward to how well we can build chemistry and how quickly we can achieve some of our goals.”
The Panthers will face Ridge in their season opener on Tuesday, April 7, in Bridgewater-Raritan’s Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium. Start time is 5:15 p.m.
