Karpell hopes to bring glory back to SJV
BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer

The St. John Vianney High School girls basketball team is looking to rebound after uncharacteristically failing to qualify for both the state sectional and Shore Conference tournaments.

New coach Dawn Karpell, a former SJV player who graduated in 1995, said she will emphasize the defense-first philosophy that made the Lancers a state power. Karpell joins the Lancers after spending the past four years coaching at Holmdel for a Hornets team that won consistently under her tutelage.

“I want to press the ball and create turnovers,” Karpell said. “Our goal is to make the opposition work hard to bring the ball up the floor.”

Seniors Lisa Apo and Kayla Killian are the key returnees for SJV, and Karpell is counting on them to lead the way. Apo, an excellent shooter who averaged 15 ppg a year ago, gives the Lancers a scoring a consistent scoring threat. Apo will play for Division I Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn., next season.

Killian, a 6-0 forward who averaged 8.5 points and nearly eight rebounds, is expected to help SJV control the glass. She’ll play for Fairleigh Dickinson next winter.

Point guard Lari Sarni, a dangerous shooter from three-point range, teams with Apo in the backcourt. Melanie Richards, Kayla McKavanaugh and sophomores Kaitlyin Linney and Jen Mulvey will also see plenty of action, according to the coach.

“We’re deep and very talented at guard and we could see a different player step up each night,” Karpell said. “We’ll also be looking to pick up the tempo offensively and all of our guards can get the ball up the court in a hurry.”

If the Lancers are to run, they’ll need to control the defensive boards. Killian will play a key role there, along with 5-9 forward Dawn Grashorn and 5-8 Danielle Christie. Christyn Tempora, a 6-0 junior center, and sophomores Kayla Palmer and Kate Wilverding provide additional support under the hoop.

SJV opened the campaign on Friday at home against Rumson-Fair Haven in a Shore Conference Class A Central match-up of two of the Shore’s top teams. RFH got the better of the Lancers on Friday, pulling out a 44-38 win despite a furious comeback effort from SJV. Apo led the Lancers with 16 points, and keyed a 12-2 fourth-quarter run which knotted the score at 36 with 2:21 to play, but the Bulldogs’ experienced players took control from there to seal the win, and give RFH the early edge in the A Central race.

The Lancers next visited division rival Red Bank Catholic, the top ranked team in the Shore, on Monday before heading into the Trenton Central Holiday Tournament, which includes second-ranked Middletown South, New Brunswick and the host team.

“We start out with a couple of very tough games and then we head into what should be a real competitive tournament,” the coach said. “You have to start somewhere, so our girls will just have to be ready to go.”

In addition to Karpell, the Lancers coaching staff includes former SJV stars Nina Vecchio and Tami Coyle. Vecchio will serve as the varsity assistant, while Coyle will run the junior varsity.

“Things worked out well for me at Holmdel, but it seemed like the right time to make the move,” Karpell said. “It’s like coming home for me. We’re [the coaching staff] very excited about being here.”