Millburn’s success did not come by accident.

A team built on playing as error-free as possible, the Millers have stepped forward as one of the premier teams in the state.

Coming off the back of winning the 2023 N2G3 sectional championship, Millburn began the year with seven out-of-state contests to prepare for the Essex County Tournament, which it won first place this fall.

On Saturday at Bloomfield High School, Millburn delivered a seamless effort against second-ranked Verona, winning their first Essex County crown of 2019 in a 25-23, 25-19 victory.

Millburn (19-8) doesn’t force many turnovers, especially in crunch time. In the semifinals to reach the championship, they came back in the third frame after trailing by nine points to win the match.

“These girls are so tight-knit,” Millburn head coach Bill Rentiers said. “They continue to fight together as one.”

Six different players recorded a kill, led by Kimaya Pandit’s nine, which is the second most of the season.

“We have a very strong offense. Our kills never come from one player,” Rentiers said. “Kimaya was amazing today. She works so hard and had a breakout game today.”

Sonya Gordon added five kills and Lily Philipov, Divya Issac, Sydney Grani each had four kills. Ava Chen added a kill on a hit in the second set to give Millburn its 24th point.

“There is so much talent to go around this team,” Philipov said. “However, what sets us apart is our ability to play cohesively. Everyone shares the same flow.”

One of Philipov’s four kills was the winning point in a match she won’t soon forget.

“I will always remember that moment. It was crazy,” Philipov said.

Verona (16-4) mounted a small comeback attempt to close out the opening set after trailing, 15-10. The momentum could have gone the Hillbillies’ way into the second frame regardless of the set loss, but Philipov racked up back-to-back aces to give Millburn an early 3-1 lead.

Brynn Mack had 13 kills for Verona, but Millburn’s defense was serious, especially up front, getting a ton of swings.

Millburn’s road to county glory came with tournament wins over 16-ranked Caldwell; 8-Nutley; 5-Mount St. Dominic; and 2-Verona.

The NJ High School Sports newsletter now hits mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now!

Follow us on social media: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)

PJ Potter can be contacted at [email protected].