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Behind the stellar play of middle hitter Meghan McCafferty, No. 1 Phillips downed No. 8 St. Paul's 25-11, 25-14, 25-16 in the New England Class A quarterfinals. Cristina Mommsen, Jamie Shenk and Melissa Yan also stood out for the Big Blue (14-0).

DERRY, N.H. — Roger Konstant scanned his players’ faces and made an announcement.

“Don’t be down,” he said. “Don’t be down.”

Spaulding swept Pinkerton 25-21, 25-18, 25-17 in the Division 1 girls volleyball final last night at Hackler Gymnasium. The defeat was sound, but for the Astros, there was plenty to be proud of.

ANDOVER - The main event of a North sectional volleyball tripleheader here lived up to the billing:

Reading's power vs. Lawrence's grit for the Division 1 sectional title.

In the end, it was the Middlesex League's Rockets, somehow willing their way to the victory in a two-hour, five-game marathon, 30-28, 17-25, 25-22, 12-25, 15-13. 

Phillips Academy downed Phillips Exeter 25-21, 25-17,30-28. With the win, the Big Blue finish the year a perfect 13-0 and will likely be the top-seed in the NEPSAC Tournament when the seedings are announced tonight.

ANDOVER — North Reading’s volleyball team had a wakeup call yesterday afternoon, but the alarm delivered the proper message. The defending Division 3 state champion and No. 1-seed Hornets dropped the first game to Notre Dame Academy of Tyngsboro, 25-21 in the North finals at Andover High School, before charging back  to win three straight, 25-15, 25-15, 25-21. North Reading (22-1) advances to the state semifinals Thursday at Lincoln-Sudbury at 7 p.m. against the West winner, which very well could be Frontier. North Reading beat Frontier in the state finals last year after losing to it the previous two years. “It seems like the season is not complete unless we play them (Frontier),” said North Reading coach Keri Forrest. That hardly seemed like a certainty in the first game, during which the Hornets made a number of unforced errors. But Forrest and two-year Cape Anne League MVP Alison Friberg were not overly concerned. “It (first-game loss) made us realize that anything can happen, that we’d better start playing better,” said Friberg. “But I wasn’t that nervous about it because we weren’t settled in and I knew we could play better. If we had played well and lost, then I would have been worried.” Forrest felt the same way. “I said to my assistant coach that I really wasn’t worried,” said Forrest. The turning point came early in the second game with the game tied, 5-5. Sophomore Kirsten Morrison served six straight points to put the Hornets in front for good. Except for a couple of letdowns in the fourth game, North Reading was in control the rest of the way. Playing like a young Stephanie Mayne, who is now a sophomore at UMass Amherst, Morrison led the Hornets in kills with 12 and aces with six while finishing with 16 service points. “As a freshman, she (Morrison) was good, but she has really come alive,” said Friberg. But Morrison had plenty of help at the net. Elizabeth Sutera checked in with 11 kills and Katherine Mazzone added eight kills and led in blocks with 15. At one point, in the third game, Taylor Dyer (team-high 21 digs), Morrison, Sutera and Mazzone took turns getting  points with kills. “Too many weapons,” said Forrest. “I keep telling them to mix it up and Alison does a great job setting them all up. She’s our quarterback and when she’s setting up different people, and we’re on a roll, we’re tough to beat.”

Lawrence senior Jardith Lorenzo had a monster day as Lawrence advanced to the division 1 North Finals beating masco 3-0. Lorenzo finished with 16 kills, 23 assists and 14 service points as the Lancers took three straight games winning 25-18, 25-10, 25-12.

LAWRENCE — Bring on Melrose. Again.

With a complete team effort that showed the strength of its depth, the Central Catholic girls volleyball team (20-0) advanced back to the Division 2 North Finals with a win over North Andover (15-7). Central, the defending North Finals champion, jumped out early and never once trailed as it won in straight games 25-15, 25-8, 25-16.

Alison Friberg tallied a team-high 14 assists and 21 service points as No. 1 North Reading drubbed  No. 4 Nazareth 25-6, 25-11, 25-11 in the Division 3 North semifinals. Kirsten Morrison and Adrianna Doyle each had four kills for the Hornets, who take on No. 6 Notre Dame Academy in the Division 3 North finals on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Methuen enjoyed a great season, but as coach Matt Twomey said, "It just ended too soon."

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead against Masconomet last night but fell, 16-25, 16-25, 25-14, 25-18, 15-12, in the Division 1 North quarterfinals.

Just as she's done all season, Jadith Lorenzo stole the show as Lawrence defeated Peabody 25-23, 25-14, 25-20 to advance to the Division 1 North semifinals. Lorenzo finished with 26 kills, 17 service points, 13 assists and 7 aces.