Needham has been the dominating force and poster child of success in boys volleyball since spring sports resumed after the pandemic. And for three years, Newton North had chipped away at its historic stretch – only to fall short.
In 2022, the Tigers snapped Needham’s 120-set win streak, but lost the match. Their season eventually ended in the state tournament’s second round while the Rockets finished unbeaten again to win their second straight title.
In 2023, Newton North was the first team since 2019 to take two sets against Needham. But it still lost the five-set match, and then again lost to the Rockets in the Div. 1 state final as Needham three-peated.
It’s only fitting then for when Needham’s 77-game win streak snapped on April 11 this year, it was Newton North that pulled it off in a five-set thriller. But after the team raucously celebrated on the court for a moment, both head coach Nile Fox and star senior Adam Christianson downplayed the storylines that came with the win.
Ending the streak was cool, but the pride in beating Needham wasn’t really about Needham. It was about Newton North, and what it means in its search for its first state title.
“That win of course was really special, I personally know a lot of people on the Needham team and I also know how good they’ve been for the past few years,” said senior captain Sam Huang. “As special as it was, though, I do agree with Adam and Nile. Although we did beat them and ended their streak, the season is still so fresh. … It was special at the time and it’s still special now, but we still have so much to do and we have to play them again. We can’t let it get to our heads.”
“We want to be the first (to win a title) in boys history,” Christianson added. “We know that we can do it, we know that we have the ability to.”
Christianson is arguably the state’s top player, showcasing an elite serve, above-average setting and dominant hitting. Huang and Peter Reale have the height, athleticism and blocking to change a game out of the middle, while Simon Vardeh is a premier hitter and Paul Nelson finds different ways to positively impact wins. Brady Dwyer has stepped up at libero and as another setting option after Christianson and Joaquin Cuevas-Torres.
Christianson boasts about depth, which even two years ago the team didn’t have as it relied heavily on former stars. But what really might separate this group is experience, returning most of its top players from last year.
That includes reps in the state’s most loaded conference, but also having to overcome a litany of injuries and suffering some heartbreak.
“Coming off that final loss last year, which was a hard one, I think they’re just really motivated to really get to the point where we can do it again – where we can go back and try to win one this year,” Fox said. “The biggest thing (that makes us special) I think is that we’ve got experience, and we’ve been in these moments.”
“We all knew how it felt when we lost in the state finals, so I think we’re all driven by the same motivating force,” Huang added. “It’s brought up not as a negative thing, but as something we can use to fuel our practices.”
A culture dedicated toward winning a state title has made a huge difference as well.
About 20 athletes tried out for the team in 2021, and Huang was one of the several that were cut. Christianson encouraged him to keep at it with his club team in the offseason, and Huang has since flourished alongside many of his teammates by simply playing as much volleyball as possible.
Former coach Richard Barton’s legendary career in charge of the boys and girls’ programs ended with his retirement after 2021, and Fox – who was an assistant at Needham from 2018-2021 – took over. Fox is in frequent communication with Barton, looking for advice while trying to stay true to some of what Barton implemented.
Since taking over, Fox has won two state championships with the Newton North girls. Last year was the Tigers boys’ first state final appearance, and the program has grown to roster two junior varsity programs.
“We’re just trying to get better as a program each day,” Fox said. “What I’ve seen is just a growth in the players. And in the alumni … (they) were really big for the program and really helped build what we have now.”
Both Huang and Christianson say Fox’s style has made a tremendous impact, too.
“Everyone wasn’t super committed to the game (before), but now everyone that’s on varsity, you can’t slack off and you have to be committed to the sport,” Christianson said.
They need that commitment as they face a loaded Div. 1 field.
Newton North may have beat Needham, but the fifth set finished 16-14. An injury to Cuevas-Torres impacted losses to Natick and Brookline since starting the year unbeaten, and that’s not including a minefield of other dangers the Tigers haven’t played yet. The competition is fierce.
And yet, with how battle tested it is over the last few years, so is Newton North.
Side-outs
The first set of the MIAA’s power rankings were released Friday. Needham is still No. 1 in Div. 1 while Bay State Conference powers Natick and Newton North are right behind. Western Mass. has a grip on Div. 2 by occupying four of the top five spots, led by Westfield.
New Bedford head coach Ben Kaeterle said before the season started that this year’s group looked promising. The Whalers are 9-0 for the first time in Kaeterle’s eight-year tenure, ranking highly at No. 10 in the Div. 1 power rankings. … With a 3-0 win over St. John’s on April 16, Natick head coach Peter Suxho cracked 500 career wins between the boys and girls programs. The RedHawks awarded him a plaque to celebrate the milestone on Thursday, as well as a five-game win streak.
Unbeaten Greater Lowell (8-0) ranks the highest it ever has with the No. 6 spot in the MIAA Div. 2 power rankings. Edging Medfield (7-3) in five sets on Tuesday showed off its strength. … Lowell is still king of the Merrimack Valley Conference, handing Methuen its first loss of the year Friday in a five-set thriller.