BROOKLINE — A lot of the Div. 1 title dialog has surrounded fellow Bay State Convention powers Needham, Natick and Newton North all season.
However Thursday night, the Brookline boys volleyball workforce confirmed why it deserves a seat at that desk.
With occasion play throughout the nook, the Warriors (10-5) used a gritty effort for its first win of the yr in direction of any of those three conference rivals – outlasting a resilient Newton North squad missing its star setter, 3-1 (26-24, 25-21, 17-25, 27-25).
Brookline freshman setter Alec Smagula distributed a sensational 37 assists, discovering a three-headed monster of hitters in spurts to larger than match the hard-hitting Tigers (12-5).
“We really feel like we’re nonetheless attempting to get our footing, and it’s actually powerful on this convention,” talked about Brookline head coach Dana Jones. “However we’re attempting to work to compete with anybody that’s right here. … We needed to bounce again and present that we’re able to enjoying this recreation, too. They’re an ideal group, they put up an unbelievable battle.”
“Clearly after that five-set loss to them earlier within the season, that stung,” added Smagula. “We needed this recreation, we’ve been interested by this recreation for some time. … Individuals don’t consider us as a contender, however I do know we’re there.”
As Newton North senior Adam Christianson (4 aces) caught fire early on for seven of his 23 kills to help rally to a 24-23 lead inside the first set, it appeared similar to the matchup might develop equally to the best way it did the first time for Brookline in a slim loss. However by executing enough to answer with a 3-0 run to protected a 1-0 lead (26-24), the Warriors set a rather a lot completely totally different tone.
Whereas Christianson, Sam Huang and Simon Vardeh launched the heat, Brookline’s blocking – led by Cam Jilek (three blocks) – and safety – led by freshman libero Amir Tomer and Anuj Majumder – contained them enough to current it a possibility in three back-and-forth frames. The primary set and the ultimate set (27-25) each stood out because the one two to enter extra elements, and the Warriors edged out every.
That includes a wild fourth set, which seen teams commerce seven straight elements predominant as a lot as the two in a row Brookline recorded to win it.
“They had been very decided,” Jones talked about. “We’ve had just a few video games the place we form of didn’t have constant effort, and we discovered a approach to faucet into one thing and it put it towards your entire time. We’re actually enthusiastic about that.”
All through, it helped for Smagula to point out to any definitely certainly one of his three prime hitters to help the Warriors flourish. Jilek had 4 of his 10 kills inside the first set, pairing with Charlie Perdue’s 5 kills in that stretch to vitality the win as Newton North moreover struggled with execution.
Perdue (14 kills) helped Smagula lead a 25-21 win inside the second set with 5 additional kills and two aces. Newton North erupted inside the third to take once more a set, nevertheless then it was Kristaps Vaivars’ flip to dial up 9 of his 14 kills inside the fourth set – along with the match-sealing degree.
“It’s actually, actually superior (to have the choices),” Smagula talked about. “I’ve constructed a reference to them, I belief them with all the pieces. Trusting them is nice. I do know I’ve acquired three, 4 guys that it doesn’t matter what I give to them, they’ll make it work and get a kill.”
“It’s very nice to have three choices which might be able to carrying the group for any time frame,” Jones added. “It’s form of a luxurious we all know is sweet, however the guys know they nonetheless have a variety of work to do to get the group the place they need to be. And so they’re keen to do it.”
