Timing is everything.

When Emma Capriglione was entering high school, she was wondering what sports she would play at Pinelands Regional.

“I was originally going to try out for field hockey,” Capriglione said.

But there was a new kid in town: volleyball.

The Pinelands girls volleyball program was young. When Capriglione was entering ninth-grade in September 2016, the Wildcats had played at the varsity level for just two seasons.

But they were good seasons. They had shown promise in 2014, going 9-12 – quite respectable for a bunch of rookies.