RallyNorth.net

HUDSON — Haverhill came close. So very, very close.
After an emotional comeback from a late three-point deficit in the fourth game behind Tommy Oliveira and Zach Sindoni, tying the match, the Hillies rode that momentum and James Murray’s solid serving to a 5-0 lead in the deciding game against perennial power Lincoln-Sudbury in front of a raucous crowd last night at Hudson High School.
But the poise and experience befitting a team that has been in the state finals three of the last four years made a difference against a young Hillie squad playing for its first-ever state title.
A key adjustment by head coach Bunny McClung empowered Ned Donaldson and Thomas Houpt at the net, turning the tide as the Central sectional champion Warriors sprinted to an emotional 17-15 victory over the North’s top squad for the state title.
In the decisive final game, Murray (eight kills and an ace) got the Hillies rolling, and when Lincoln-Sudbury closed within a point at 10-9, Drew Caruso turned an athletic dig into a netside tip for a winner, and Sindoni’s kill stretched the gap to 13-10.
“Haverhill blocked us very well,” McClung said of the efforts of Oliveira (61⁄2 blocks), Caruso (four blocks), Brett Pettis and Murray on the front line. “I thought our fast offense (with low front-line sets) would work better, and that’s why we had to make an adjustment.”
“I just did my best and it definitely worked,” Oliveira said. “I did my best to anticipate the ball as best I could and to get to it whenever I saw it come to the net.”
“Tommy’s come a long way,” Hillie head coach Bill Kaste said of his sophomore middle hitter. “The tournament is where he really shined. He did so much more in the tournament.”
Two points away from losing the title, the Warriors chose to work its offense to the outside. Donaldson (12 kills, four coming in the fifth game) and Houpt (11 kills) had alleys that weren’t clear earlier in the evening and took full advantage. Houpt spiked home a pair of sets to give L-S its first lead of game five, then saw a Haverhill kill attempt sail wide right to send the Warrior faithful into a frenzy.
“Their right-side hitter hit well, their middles hit well,” Hillie head coach Bill Kaste said. “They’re a full team. They’re not the state champs for nothing.”
The closing rush capped a night of comebacks. Haverhill’s four-point lead in the opening game was erased by libero Matthew Joyner’s serving while Oliveira and Andrew Alves (21 digs and four assists) helped repel L-S’s game-two rebound.
The biggest turnaround came in game four as Haverhill faced down five-point deficits at four different points, the latest coming at 18-13. But spurred on by the teamwork of Pettis (13 kills, two blocks and two aces), Murray and Caruso, the Hillies tied the score. And when Oliveira and Sindoni faced down 7-footer John Swords for the block that won the game, a fitting stage was set for the winner-take-all game that followed.
Of the ultimate deciding factor last night, McClung said, “Being in that situation before can only help. Our players are strong, determined, talented and our chemistry is good. We weren’t going to let it go.”
In Kaste’s opinion, “Lincoln-Sudbury passed a little better than us, found the court hitting a little better than us, and we just had a hard time being as consistent as we needed to be.
“When we wake up (today), we’ll be a lot happier than when we went to bed (last night). We had a great season, had great effort, and we brought a lot of spirit back to Haverhill High School. They did something no other volleyball team did and they should be proud of themselves.”
Lincoln/Sudbury 3, Haverhill 2
Mass. state championship
at Hudson High School
Kills: L-S — Ned Donaldson 12, Thomas Houpt 11, John Swords 9; H — Brett Pettis 13, Tom Oliveira 10, Drew Caruso 10
Blocks: L-S — Swords 4; H — Oliveira 61⁄2, Caruso 4
Assists: L-S — William Shimkus 22, Devin Patel 15; H — Zach Sindoni 36
Aces: L-S — Donaldson 2; H — Pettis 2
Digs: L-S — Houpt 20; H — Andrew Alves 21, Sindoni 17
Haverhill (21-2):    20 25 16 27 15 — 2
Lincoln/Sudbury (20-1):    25 18 25 25 17 — 3