Brookline rallies past Natick in matchup of Bay State Conference powers

BROOKLINE — It came with no shortage of suspense and electricity, but the Brookline boys volleyball team continued to establish itself as a state title contender Wednesday night with yet another win over a fellow power in the loaded Bay State Conference.

Despite losing the first set and frequently playing catch-up throughout the affair, Brookline used its star power and a collection of large runs to ultimately down Natick, 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 28-26, 25-22), in what could be a preview of a higher-stakes matchup down the road. Nikhil Wong was the mastermind of it all with 42 assists, three kills and an ace before exiting early for the Warriors (10-2), setting up Zachary Orlando-Milbauer (22 kills) and Fletcher Poon (11 kills) for some big performances on the hardwood.

All three characters proved vital in a hyper-focused effort that required a multitude of long runs to rally past the RedHawks (8-4), as well as a relentless approach to fend off Natick’s own stars in Kendall Jackson (16 kills) and David Massa (12 kills). That included seven different 4-0 runs, and a 6-2 run to steal a pivotal third set that Natick once led 24-22.

“We’re still putting it together, but the guys really showed that they were determined to stay on course, stay on track for the duration,” said Brookline head coach Dana Jones. “I’m more proud of that than anything else.”

It certainly was a dogfight throughout, opening with an explosive RedHawks start that gave them two different five-point leads in the first set. Jacob Aronov (26 assists) guided Natick along with Jackson and Garrett Schmid to a 25-19 win.

Yet, the rally Brookline put in to tie the set at 17-17 midway through provided a spark of determination the Warriors wouldn’t lose the rest of the way.

With a 13-12 advantage in the second set, Julian Vesneske and Poon ignited the first 6-2 run with a kill and an ace to create separation for a 19-14 lead, which Wong, Orlando-Milbauer and Poon closed out for a 25-21 win to even the match.

Back and forth the teams continued to a 17-17 tie in the third set, only for Massa to notch three straight kills and Jackson to add two more for an eventual 24-22 lead. Jones called timeout, leading Wong to set up Orlando-Milbauer and Wes Price for kills and a 24-24 score. The defense tightened up, and a Vesneske block aided three kills from Poon to steal the set for a 2-1 lead.

Momentum all but fully shifted in Brookline’s favor in the fourth set when a 6-1 run from kills and blocks flipped a 9-4 deficit to a 10-9 lead, and a 7-1 run gave it a 17-13 lead. Natick rallied a bit itself to cut it to 22-20 later on, but even with Wong out with cramps, the Warriors prevailed.

“(Natick is) a very good team, they’re a tough team and there’s a very high possibility that we see them again,” Jones said. “Anytime we match up with them, I know we’re in for a tough match.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3i9rbrX