WORCESTER — There’s a expression Needham boys volleyball head coach Dave Powell reminds his workers previous the every day motto of cornering their very personal effectivity: Stress is a privilege.
However after a whole yr of combating the background noise of how the two-time defending champions’ reign may be over this season, the longtime unbeaten Rockets lastly observed that pressure alleviate in another historic accomplishment.
With a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-19) win over No. 7 Newton North on Thursday throughout the Div. 1 state closing at Worcester State, top-seeded Needham (27-0) grew to change into the third program throughout the sport’s MIAA historic previous to win three consecutive state titles as part of its now 73-game win streak.
Solely New Bedford has an prolonged win streak with 92 video video games throughout the early Nineteen Nineties, and is the alternative program furthermore Westfield to three-peat.
“We had a wave of fine youngsters after COVID, individuals have been guess doubting, questioning if the reign was over, and these youngsters responded,” Powell talked about. “To win 72 in a row earlier than this and having individuals discuss it constantly, you possibly can’t not hear it. You say block it out, you say simply assault it – it was exhausting, it was difficult in its personal approach. … It was taxing on the children, a bunch of 16, 17, 18-year-old youngsters. So to have the ability to end it off like that is particular. It’s particular.”
In what Powell believes was the workers’s best effectivity all yr, seniors as quickly as as soon as extra paved the best way wherein in the direction of the win with their typical dose of grinding out all of the issues they’ve.
Two-time All-Scholastic Raymond Weng, a starter by means of your full streak, impressed as quickly as as soon as extra with 18 assists, 9 kills and three aces, whereas Ethan McCarron led the workers with 12 kills. Libero Jonathan Ochalla led a serve get hold of 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 notably stood out throughout the first two items as Newton North challenged them in 25-22 and 25-21 frames, setting the tone to finish their highschool careers with out a single loss.
“That feels loopy (to not lose in highschool) however I can’t do it with out my teammates,” Weng talked about. “This workforce, we sort of had this chemistry that – we constructed it on the entire season. It felt supernatural and it felt nice that we have been in a position to simply do it collectively.”
“It simply feels actually good,” Powell added. “That’s in all probability the very best we’ve ever performed as a program or workforce within the state title match, I feel. We’ve gained earlier than, however to get one of these efficiency within the state title match – Newton North is a very good workforce and so they have been a tricky matchup for us – however I believed we performed rather well.”
On the flip facet throughout the Div. 2 state title recreation beforehand, No. 2 Agawam accomplished exorcising its demons in the direction of defending champion No. 1 Westfield by beating it 3-0 (29-27, 27-25, 25-20) for its first state title since 2013. Previous to beating the Bombers earlier throughout the yr as part of a every day season break up, it had been on the very least six years given that ultimate time the Brownies had obtained the matchup.
The solely issue senior Daniel Yovenko was missing was a cape throughout the effort, primary the price with 22 booming kills that normally proved unstoppable. He, David Dzhenzherukha (33 assists on his birthday), Nicholas Uschmann (six kills) and Joseph Culhane (4 kills) have been all vital in the direction of the difficulty, which required icy veins throughout the first two items.
Their motto all yr was “imagine” in a reference to the television current “Ted Lasso” they normally adopted that all the best way wherein in the direction of the title.
