WORCESTER — There’s a expression Needham boys volleyball head coach Dave Powell reminds his staff past the each day motto of cornering their very own efficiency: Pressure is a privilege.
But after a complete yr of combating the background noise of how the two-time defending champions’ reign might be over this season, the longtime unbeaten Rockets lastly noticed that strain alleviate in one more historic accomplishment.
With a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-19) win over No. 7 Newton North on Thursday within the Div. 1 state closing at Worcester State, top-seeded Needham (27-0) grew to become the third program within the sport’s MIAA historical past to win three consecutive state titles as a part of its now 73-game win streak.
Only New Bedford has an extended win streak with 92 video games within the early Nineteen Nineties, and is the opposite program moreover Westfield to three-peat.
“We had a wave of good kids after COVID, people were guess doubting, questioning if the reign was over, and these kids responded,” Powell mentioned. “To win 72 in a row before this and having people talk about it consistently, you can’t not hear it. You say block it out, you say just attack it – it was hard, it was challenging in its own way. … It was taxing on the kids, a bunch of 16, 17, 18-year-old kids. So to be able to finish it off like this is special. It’s special.”
In what Powell believes was the staff’s finest efficiency all yr, seniors as soon as once more paved the way in which towards the win with their typical dose of grinding out all the things they’ve.
Two-time All-Scholastic Raymond Weng, a starter by way of your complete streak, impressed as soon as once more with 18 assists, 9 kills and three aces, whereas Ethan McCarron led the staff with 12 kills. Libero Jonathan Ochalla led a serve obtain that weathered the Tigers’ vicious serving, and Alex Gundaker complemented McCarron and Weng with 4 kills and two aces alongside junior Luke Lorence (9 kills).
Weng and McCarron particularly stood out within the first two units as Newton North challenged them in 25-22 and 25-21 frames, setting the tone to complete their highschool careers with out a single loss.
“That feels crazy (to not lose in high school) but I can’t do it without my teammates,” Weng mentioned. “This team, we kind of had this chemistry that – we built it on the whole season. It felt supernatural and it felt great that we were able to just do it together.”
“It just feels really good,” Powell added. “That’s probably the best we’ve ever played as a program or team in the state title match, I think. We’ve won before, but to get this type of performance in the state title match – Newton North is a really good team and they were a tough matchup for us – but I thought we played really well.”
On the flip aspect within the Div. 2 state title recreation beforehand, No. 2 Agawam completed exorcising its demons towards defending champion No. 1 Westfield by beating it 3-0 (29-27, 27-25, 25-20) for its first state title since 2013. Prior to beating the Bombers earlier within the yr as a part of a daily season break up, it had been at the very least six years for the reason that final time the Brownies had received the matchup.
The solely factor senior Daniel Yovenko was lacking was a cape within the effort, main the cost with 22 booming kills that usually proved unstoppable. He, David Dzhenzherukha (33 assists on his birthday), Nicholas Uschmann (six kills) and Joseph Culhane (4 kills) have been all important towards the trouble, which required icy veins within the first two units.
Their motto all yr was “believe” in a reference to the tv present “Ted Lasso” they usually adopted that every one the way in which towards the title.
Source: www.bostonherald.com