Mount Olive is a county champion again. The Marauders swept defending champion Randolph 3-0 in the Morris County Tournament final on Friday, winning 25-13, 25-11 and 25-17 to claim the program's first county title since its back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. Against the team that held the crown, Mount Olive never trailed in the first two sets and never let the final become a nail-biter. It was a complete championship performance from a team that has now won 18 of its 19 matches this season.
Sophomore outside hitter Olivia Drucks played like the best player in the gym, because on Friday she was. Drucks finished with 24 kills, 13 assists and 10 digs — a triple-double in a county final — and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Twenty-four kills in three sets is a staggering number, and she did it while also helping run the offense and anchoring the back row. Championship games reveal stars, and Drucks announced herself as a very big one.
She had plenty of help. Junior outside hitter Izabella Osoria added 11 kills, including four down the stretch of the decisive third set when Randolph made its last push, and she paired them with 18 assists, three aces and 15 digs — nearly a triple-double of her own. Senior libero Ava Diaz rallied the defense with 15 digs and two assists. Add it up and Mount Olive's three leaders combined for 35 kills, 31 assists and 40 digs, production everywhere the Marauders needed it.
Randolph, the defending champion, did not give its title away cheaply. The Panthers did not take a lead until back-to-back points by junior middle Maria Fuentes put them up 4-3 in the third set, and they kept that final set the closest of the night at 25-17. But every time the match asked Mount Olive a question, the Marauders answered it — and when the last point landed, a nine-year wait for a county crown was over. At 18-1 with a trophy already in hand, this team's ceiling keeps getting higher.
Stars of the Game: Olivia Drucks, the MVP Triple-Double, with 24 kills, 13 assists and 10 digs and the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Izabella Osoria, the Closer, with 11 kills, 18 assists, three aces and 15 digs. And Ava Diaz, the Defensive Rally Starter, with 15 digs anchoring the back row.
Game details compiled from published box scores.