By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
It was a lively night at the Needham Gymnasium on Monday, November 6th, as the Needham girls' volleyball team sought to settle their rivalry with Brookline in the Sweet 16 round of the post-season. Both teams were intensely focused on a singular objective—to emerge victorious. In a persistent back-and-forth contest, Needham maintained composure and strength, propelling them to a decisive 3-0 victory.
The bleachers were filled to capacity, extending to the front row with friends and family passionately cheering on the Rockets. Their loud cheers resonated on the sides of the court, energizing the team. The Rockets dominated the first set, overpowering the Brookline Warriors and securing a 25-10 win.
As the teams switched sides, Brookline elevated their performance, shaking off what seemed to be a subdued start. The Warriors quickly scored the first point of the second set, gaining momentum. Despite Needham trailing closely behind, both teams engaged in a competitive back-and-forth. Needham, resilient against Brookline's lead, showcased excellent defense, with extended volleys. Over time, Needham reclaimed the lead, winning the second set 25-21.
The onset of the third set heightened crowd excitement as the Rockets aimed to advance to the round eight competition of the post-season. The Brookline Warriors, however, were determined to put up a fight. The teams traded points, with the fifth-seeded Needham girls seizing control, leading 19-15 and showing no signs of slowing down. Capitalizing on their team's cohesion, Needham secured their spot in the round of eight, winning the third set 25-19. The audience erupted in cheers as the ball struck the ground, celebrating the Rockets' success, with the team jubilantly jumping up and down in celebration.
Head Coach Courtney Chaloff expressed her excitement at witnessing the girls' determination during the competition, reflecting that sometimes having a chip on your shoulder only intensifies the desire to win.
“I mean honestly, we lost to Brookline in the regular season, so we definitely came into the match with a chip on our shoulders, we went out in the Sweet 16 round of playoffs last season which also contributed to another chip on our shoulder. So, I feel like we had a hunger, drive, and passion that’s hard to fake, and there were a lot of things that helped gear us into that mindset. They have really great hitters, they have a great setter, and their defense is great too, we knew this was going to be like a dogfight. Even after set one when it felt pretty good on our side, I knew that that they would be coming back for more. We tightened up our defense to respond to their really strong offense, and I think that helped, we were keeping balls up no matter what,” said Chaloff.
The girls continued on their post-season and competed against Attleboro High for the round of eight match and won 3-0, the Rockets will now play in the quarterfinals. Needham will now play against the top seed in Division I, Newton North, on November, 15th.
