The Union Catholic volleyball team, the defending county champions, took a big step toward getting back to the championship match with a convincing 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Rahway on Friday in Scotch Plains. 

The second-seeded Vikings won 25-15, 25-12 to notch their sixth straight win and advance to the semifinals where they will clash with No. 6 seed Elizabeth on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Johnson High in Clark. Elizabeth advanced with a surprising upset over No. 3 seed Gov. Livingston.  

The defending county champions were led by Alyssa Kenol, who tallied 11 kills along with 4 service points and an ace, and setter Alex Landazabal, who recorded 10 assists, 8 service points, and 4 aces. Ayla Burke contributed 7 kills and 6 digs, helping UC maintain a balanced and dominant attack throughout both sets.

Union Catholic controlled the pace from start to finish, holding Rahway to just 27 combined points across the two sets.