NEEDHAM – For a 3rd straight season, the Needham boys volleyball staff will head into the Div. 1 state event with out a loss.
The two-time defending champion Rockets used their typical model of well-rounded play Friday night time to beat one other daunting nonleague foe, topping St. John’s of Shrewsbury 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20) on the state’s closing day of the common season.
Luke Lorence heated up within the third set on the best way to a team-high 12 kills, whereas Ethan McCarron (11 kills) and Raymond Weng (19 assists, 10 kills) additionally performed main offensive roles to fight an inconsistent however robust Pioneers efficiency.
It was simply one other day’s work for Needham (22-0), which secured a 68th straight win to steer the title dialog as soon as once more. Finishing the common season unbeaten is way from the Rockets’ finish objective, however that actually doesn’t make it any much less fulfilling for them to keep up their edge over three totally different campaigns.
“It feels great, it’s a good program,” mentioned Weng, a starter all through the streak’s entirety. “We worked hard every day at practice, at least we tried to. It took a lot of mental strength too, just to not think about the past and how this is the season now.”
“We have a good combination of a talented senior class and a competitive junior class, and some really good athletes,” added head coach Dave Powell. “We’re happy with how it’s coming together and (focusing on) one moment at a time. Just worrying about our side of the net.”
After barely avoiding its first loss since 2019 towards Milford from the day prior, that focus was wanted towards a harmful St. John’s staff that ranked fourth within the newest set of MIAA Div. 1 energy rankings.
Matt Deeley (9 kills, two aces) used a ferocious bounce serve to present the Rockets hassle within the first set, taking part in a big function in an 8-0 run that grabbed a 14-12 lead. Devin Dellamarggio (12 assists) discovered McCarron to interrupt up the run. A pair of Weng assists and kills helped gasoline a 12-4 run whereas errors plagued the Pioneers from there, and Needham went on to take the set, 25-21.
That could be the one time the Rockets wanted to interrupt up a surge of momentum, permitting the Pioneers to a few straight factors only one extra time the remainder of the match. St. John’s traded 10 straight factors early within the second set, with Eric Barcelos (5 kills, 4 blocks) and Francis McGonagle (11 kills, three aces) every delivering large performs. The third set then noticed 15 straight factors traded to maintain St. John’s in putting distance, trailing simply 16-14.
But in each cases, Needham went on an enormous run to separate for 25-18 and 25-20 set victories. Jonathan Ochalla was implausible defensively for the Rockets, whereas Alex Gundaker (seven kills) crammed an enormous function within the center and Lorence belted six of his kills within the closing set.
“Outside of the first set, I thought we were a little more disciplined hitting tonight, we were a little more patient,” mentioned Powell. “All our guys pass-served very well. … (St. John’s is) a good team. They’re a powerful, dynamic team.”
Now, Needham dials up its focus once more in pursuit of a uncommon three-peat. Its path might be revealed when brackets are launched on Tuesday.
“It’s a 0-0 record now,” Weng mentioned. “One game at a time.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com
