Kristen Wieme was born in 1982, too late to have heard Joe Namath's boast prior to Super Bowl III in 1969. But she sounded like the former Jets' quarterback when she all but guaranteed a Paramus victory in the Bergen County girls volleyball tournament.
And like Joe Willie, the 17-year-old sure delivered.
Fittingly, a kill by Wieme ended Saturday night's 15-3, 15-10 Paramus victory in the County final over Paramus Catholic - the team she said she wanted to play, and beat, after Friday night's semifinals.
"Why I said what I said was because I just knew in my heart that we could beat them," said Wieme, who had been on the losing end in two previous matches against previously unbeaten Paramus Catholic. "I wanted to stay by my words and beat them, and we did. I'm overwhelmed."
So were the top-seeded Paladins. Paramus Catholic (19-1) had a 3-1 lead in the first game, on three aces. From there, it was all downhill for the Paladins, and considering how the PC points were scored, it was serving that plagued coach Don Guide's team. PC finished with 10 service errors, six in the first game alone.
"Service errors and poor passing did us in, and that's usually our strength," said Guide. "I can't figure it out. Maybe it's nerves. Maybe it was [the pressure of] being undefeated. But Paramus played well."
As well as the Spartans have all season. Wieme finished with a team-high nine kills, while Kim Farhat had eight service points. But statistics alone don't do the justice to the Spartans performance.
Wieme, a senior, was everywhere. In the backcourt, digging - along with Amanda Soares and Tiffany Farhat - what seemed to be every kill attempted by the Paladins. And when Paramus Catholic made a run in the second game, closing from a 10-3 deficit to 10-8, Wieme delivered an ace to stop the Paladins' momentum.
"She's had her games," Paramus coach MariaElena Bellinger said of Wieme, who had 18 kills in a match against Immaculate Heart Academy. "When she's in a zone, I tell her, `No one can stop you.' And the same is true of my entire team."
Paramus (20-2), the tournament's third seed, proved to be unstoppable starting early in the first game. Crystal Sullivan recorded six consecutive service points to give the Spartans a 7-3 lead. And on game point, with Marcela Gomez serving, a stuff by, who else, Wieme, gave Paramus a 15-3 win and set the Paladins reeling.
But PC didn't die easily. Rachel Rivers scored five consecutive points to close to within two points of Paramus, and Anri Koike added another point for Paramus Catholic on serve to make it just an 11-10 deficit, but another ugly service error followed.
"We really wanted this game," said Kim Farhat, who lead Paramus with eight service points. "This whole season, we wanted to show them we could do it. And we did."
Northern Valley at Old Tappan, the tournament's fifth seed, defeated No. 10 Ridgewood, 16-14, 7-15, 15-9, in the consolation match.
"They were a little deflated, and a little disappointed after losing [Friday] night," Old Tappan coach Melissa Landeck said of her team. "But they deserved to be out here, among the best four teams in the County. Sometimes people don't think we belong here, but they played like they belong here, and I'm proud of them."
Rachel Goldstein and Lauren Ascolese led Old Tappan (18-4), as each finished with 11 service points and nine kills. Danielle Cafasso added 12 kills.
"This is a very difficult game to play," said Ridgewood coach Ron Knott, "because it doesn't really mean anything. So you're basically playing for pride and a state ranking, which is tough to use as a motivator."
Mariko Boswell had 19 assists for Ridgewood (16-7), and Stephanie Kaliades had 14 kills and four blocks.
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