Merrimack falls to H/B in final

Friday, November 11, 2011

Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Facebook - Grant Morris of the Nashua Telegraph
Merrimack's Maggie Kenney winds up for a spike during Thursday night's Division I Girls Volleyball Semi-final game against Nashua High School North at Pinkerton Academy.

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Staff photo by Bruce Preston Catherine Kazazian of Merrimack get in a hit during the first game of the NHIAA Girls Volleyball Division 1 finals last night at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.

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Kellie Messer of Hollis Brookline (#14) gets the ball over Kate Cole of Merrimack during the second game of the NHIAA Girls Volleyball Division 1 finals last night at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Facebook - Grant Morris of the Nashua Telegraph
Merrimack's Maggie Kenney winds up for a spike during Thursday night's Division I Girls Volleyball Semi-final game against Nashua High School North at Pinkerton Academy.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

DERRY – Two years ago, after winning the Division II title, the Hollis/Brookline volleyball program faced a big decision. It could stay in Division II and virtually be assured of challenging for a championship every year. Or it could petition up and be assured of quality competition two or three times a week.

The Cavaliers got what they expected last year, improved, but lost in the quarterfinals.

Saturday night, in just their second year in the division, Hollis/Brookline won its first Division I championship with a 26-28, 25-18, 25-22 and 25-16 decision over top-seeded Merrimack, who handed the Cavs one of their two regular-season losses.

“To be honest, we were disappointed to lose in the quarterfinals last year,” Hollis/Brookline coach Becky Balfour said. “We thought we were a top four team. But the competition in Division I made everyone better. The 12th place team was taking a game from us. That didn’t happen in Division II.”

Hollis/Brookline closed out the season with 17 straight wins and used its depth and strength in all facets of the game last night.“We don’t really have a go-to type player,” said senior Kelsey Berry, who finished with a team-high 17 kills and 15 digs last night. “We have a great setter in Kristyn Glover and she trusts everyone.”

From day one it wasn’t six players, it was 15, and everyone contributed to this.”

Glover closed out her career with 41 assists, while the Cavs got 15 kills from Ari Creighton and key contributions up and down the roster.

Merrimack won a back-and-forth first game, 28-26, behind the hitting of Maggie Kenney, who had eight of her 22 kills in the opener, including a smash from the left side to end the game. Hollis/Brookline had a chance to put it away when Creighton had her fourth kill of the game to make it 24-23. But a bad serve, one of six in the game by the Cavaliers, cost them a chance to put it away.

The Cavs varied attack paid off in the second game as five different girls registered kills, led by three each from Creighton and Berry. Tied 10-10 early, Hollis/Brookline pulled away to a 20-13 lead and was able to close it out.

Merrimack rallied back from a 17-11 deficit to tie Hollis/Brookline 20-20 in the third game, but the Cavs poured it on at the end, with Glover closing it out with an ace and two key aces earlier in the game from Amanda Balsamo. Berry was huge for Hollis/Brookline in game three with six kills, while Allison Latham’s hitting helped get the Tomahawks back in the game.

It was more of the same in the fourth game, as Hollis/Brookline took an early 4-3 lead and never trailed. Glover was immense throughout, quarterbacking a Hollis/Brookline attack that featured big games at the net from a number of players, including juniors Kellie Messer and Kaitlyn Atkinson.

“What impressed me most about Hollis/Brookline was how calm they were all night,” Merrimack coach Tammy Lambrou said. “I think that comes from getting here so often, we played a little scared.”

Merrimack setter Bree McCarthy wrapped up her career with 40 assists. The Tomahawks can build around juniors like Latham, who had five blocks, 16 digs and nine kills on the night.

Gilford, the Division II runner-up for each of the last two seasons, beat St. Thomas 3-1 to win its first title since 2007, when it won a ninth straight division title.