Sarah Volkomer (’05)
Sarah Volkomer was the most decorated goalie in the history of Glen Rock High School soccer, being one of two goalies in the United States selected for the National Coaches’ of America/Adidas All-American team.
Sarah was a three-year starting goalkeeper who helped Glen Rock win three consecutive Group 1, State Sectional Championships and then two Group 1, State Co-Championships.
In Sarah’s sophomore year, she anchored the 2002 State Co-Champion team’s defense while Hall of Famer inductees Leah Jerome and Kim Mineo led that team’s offense The team defeated Hasbrouck Heights/Wood Ridge (2-0) to win the Group 1, Sectional Championship, defeated Butler (3-1) to win the Group 1, North Jersey Championship and tied Pennsville (1-1) to win the Group 1, State Co-Championship. It’s final record was 23-2-1, with16 shutouts. At the end of the season, Sarah was named to the First Team, Group 1, All-North Jersey and to the Second Team, All-County (by The Record).
In Sarah’s junior year, after the graduation of Leah and Kim, the 2003 team repeated as Group 1, State Co-Champions with a 19-1-2 record that included shutouts in 21 of those 22 games. Having allowed only 2 goals all season, The Record said that it was “perhaps the greatest defensive season in North Jersey history.” Sarah was named to the Third Team, All Groups, All-State and to the Second Team, All-County.
In Sarah’s senior year, the 2004 team won the Group 1, Sectional Championship after Sarah stopped multiple penalty kicks but were subsequently narrowly defeated in the North Jersey final by a score of 1-0. That team had an overall 17-3-2 record that included 15 shutouts. Sarah was named to the First Team, All Groups, All-State and to the First Team, All-County. In addition, she was one of two goalies in the United States selected for the National Coaches’ of America/Adidas All-American team.
In 2010, Sarah received Honorable Mention from The Record for its All-County, All-Decade Soccer Team.
In addition to being an unparalleled goalie, Sarah was an outstanding multisport athlete. As a freshman, she played basketball. She then switched to winter track. In her junior year, she was a member of the 4×800 indoor relay team that won the Bergen
County Small Schools Championship.
Finally, “Slick” was also an outstanding shortstop for the school’s softball team throughout high school, leading the team in batting average as a junior and being named to the Second Team, All-B-PSL Carpenter in both her junior and senior years. In those two years, she helped lead the team to back-to-back successful seasons.
In June 2005, the administration and coaches of Glen Rock High School recognized Sarah as the top female athlete in that year’s graduating class and gave her the esteemed Athlete of the Year Award.
Sarah attended and was the starting goalkeeper at Rutgers University and then at
Rowan University. At Rowan, she was named the New Jersey Athletic
Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and the All Region Keeper of the Year. She
was seventh in the NCAA in goals against average and led her team to the Sweet
16 of the NCAA Division III tournament.
After graduating from Rowan, Sarah played semi-professional soccer with the
New Jersey Valkyries.