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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
In 2017, the Needham High School varsity boys volleyball team was about as dominant as they come. Led by senior captain and right-side hitter Brady Orozco-Herman, junior captain and setter Eli Wallace, senior captain and outside hitter Will Nowlan, and senior outside hitter Gabriel Stern, the Rockets compiled a 21-0 regular season record, earned the No. 1 overall seed in the South, and took home the sectional crown with a 3-1 victory over rival Newton South on June 7 at Xaverian Brothers High School.
The season came to a tough end on June 12 when the Rockets fell to North Sectional champ, Wayland (3-0), in the state semifinals at Wellesley High School. However, the dominance displayed by this band of Rockets throughout the regular season was something that very few high school volleyball teams in Massachusetts have ever been able to accomplish, and for that, this group deserves the highest of recognitions.
Herman and Wallace were selected to the Massachusetts All-Scholastic team by both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald while also taking home First-Team All-Conference honors. Gabe Stern and junior outside hitter Jack Cruickshank were voted First-Team All-Bay State Conference while junior Cam Robins was voted All-Conference honorable mention.
Stern says that much of the credit to Needham’s success over the years has to be given to head coach Dave Powell and his staff.
“It’s awesome what the coaching staff has done with the program. We’re capable of making a deep playoff run every year,” said Stern. “We only had one returning starter (Eli Wallace) from the state finalist team last year, and no one on the team really played any substantial time on the 2015 state championship team, so they’ve created a culture where everyone in the program works hard during the offseason, and it translates to guys being able to step in and excel at any point.”
Next season, Needham will turn to Eli Wallace to captain the ship for the second straight year. Along with Wallace, rising seniors Jack Cruickshank and Cam Robins will also be given leadership roles as captains. Returning in 2018 along with the three due-to-be senior captains are rising senior and middle hitter Oliver Hirschland, utility man Josh Feinstein, and rising senior and designated server AJ Gnieski.
Stern, who is off to Syracuse University in the fall, says that there is a lot to look forward to from this group next season as well as for years to come due what he calls a strong group of freshmen in 2017.
“We had a great freshman class this season,” said Stern. “It’ll be exciting to see who steps up in their sophomore year, but it all depends on who puts in the extra work in the offseason.”
With three straight South Sectional titles now under their belts, it’s safe to say that Needham High School has built something extremely special with their boys volleyball program.
Congratulations to the Rockets on a tremendous season in 2017.
