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Sports

Doheny Making Name for Himself at Bridgewater

Senior volleyball player Ryan Doheny is trying to finish his volleyball career with a state championship.

The names Devin Zolnowski and Chris Allen may not be familiar to the casual Bridgewater sports fan, but there are many who remember what they did for the school's volleyball team.

They were two of the best players to ever go through the Bridgewater-Raritan boy’s volleyball program, and senior outside hitter Ryan Doheny wants to be classified in the same group as them.

“It’s been a goal of mine to be mentioned in the same sentence as some of the greats that have played for Bridgewater,” Doheny said. “They were great players and played on great teams and it would be an honor to be in the same class as them.”

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Doheny started playing volleyball in seventh grade, when he attended a camp that was run by varsity head coach Corey Romanak. From his first day at the camp, Doheny was hooked on volleyball.

“Romanak ran the camp for middle school students the year I was in seventh grade,” he said. “I went to that camp and all I wanted to do was play volleyball.”

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Doheny is now coming off a very solid junior season for the Panthers. Last season, he totaled 52 kills, 19 blocks, 151 digs, 28 aces and 283 assists as the team’s setter. 

Now, the team captain will be making the move to outside hitter, which is unfamiliar territory for him.

“It’s a lot different because I’m used to running everything on the court,” Doheny said. “As the setter, you act as a quarterback in football or a point guard in basketball. I’ve also never played a hitting position before. It’s a different outlook, but I like it so far.”

Although Doheny had a great season last year, the Panthers struggled. A traditional volleyball powerhouse, the Panthers entered the season ranked in the top 25 in the state.

Last year, Doheny was named to the Second Team All Central/West Jersey. Now, a volleyball state championship is all that is left on the to-do list for him.

“Last year we were not so great,” he said. “This year, my teammates and I are expecting a lot more because we have everyone returning. I am expecting a lot coming from me because I have been on the team for three years already. I also want my teammates to improve with every game and practice and be able to show off their skills this year.”

“If we keep improving like we have so far this season, we can bring the program back to where it once was,” he added. “Our hitting is getting better each game and our defense is a lot stronger than last year. If we keep improving on our fundamentals, I think we can make it to the state championship.”

For Doheny, this season may be the last time he will get a chance at winning a championship of such magnitude. He will be attending Appalachian State next year and plans to play for the school’s club team. 

Though it will be competitive at the next level, Doheny’s main goal is to just keep playing the game he has grown to love.

“I just want to keep playing for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s something that I love to do. No matter where I go in life or where I’m at, I know that I want to keep playing volleyball.”

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