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Central drops volleyball title to Barnstable

Saturday, November, 19 By Jeff Hamrick

NORTHBOROUGH — For the third time in four years, the Central Catholic girls volleyball team found itself one victory away from a state championship. But once again, the Raiders found the experience anything but charming.

This time it was the queen of the sport that denied the Raiders as undefeated and top-ranked Barnstable ended Central’s title bid in straight sets last night at Algonquin High School. Barnstable (23-0) won its eighth championship in nine years and 14th since 1993 with its 25-13, 27-25, 25-14 victory.

“Their accomplishments speak for themselves,” Central coach Gannon Paris said of Barnstable. “There’s not much to say other than it’s an outstanding program and they played an outstanding game. It was really tough for us to get any momentum going, and when we did, they were able to answer.”

Barnstable, which defeated its five postseason opponents by a combined 15-1, lost only four sets all season.
But after dropping 14 of the final 17 points in the first set, Central (21-3) took Barnstable to the limit in the second.

The Raiders used an 11-2 run to take a 14-11 lead, but Barnstable rode a six-point run of its own to reclaim a three-point lead. Instead of folding, however, Central scored the ensuing six points for a 20-17 advantage. In a set that featured 11 ties and seven lead changes, Central twice had set point, the last time leading 25-24, but Barnstable hit two winners and an unforced Central error provided the set winner.

“That second game showed we could stick with them, and we could win against them,” Central senior Alex Borrelli said. “But I guess we just didn’t get the job done tonight.”

Central led twice in the third set, the last being 5-4, and the Raiders forced five ties later, but Barnstable roared to the finish scoring 13 of the set’s final 15 points.

“We’re just resilient,” said Barnstable coach Tom Turco, who is 528-52 since taking over the program in 1988. “Winning is a part of them. Winning is what they do, it’s not who they are.”

The loss snapped Central’s 13-match winning streak that included wins over three teams ranked in the top 20 and a trio of victories over arch rival and 14th ranked Andover. Hunter Tuck had seven kills and five blocks while Alexis Michal closed out a sterling postseason with 16 assists, giving her 150 in the playoffs, while Michelle Bouchard and Borrelli each had 15 digs.

“No one really expected us to go this far at all,” Borrelli said. “To make the state championship game, I’m so proud of my team. You don’t have to have six talented players, you just have to have 16 or 18 people who want to play volleyball and are dedicated. And that’s what we had.”