"Worst" House

Keywords: Massachusetts postseason girls volleyball

Among the biggest reasons players play and fans watch sports is competition. The biggest problem (not a new phenomenon) with many of the regular season games is the lack of competition, as, at least in high school volleyball, eighty percent of the time or more, the outcome is known before the game. There may not be another sport as sharply divided between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. The successful teams usually have infrastructure (especially offseason participation), superior coaching, and a winning tradition.

Sitting before a basketball game several years ago, we overheard the opposing players talking about doing well "if we only lost by thirty points." What you can control going into a match are preparation, effort, and attitude. As for defeatism, "that dog don't hunt."

As we move along in the tournament, many attractive games appear on the tournament brackets. In Division I North, an Andover/Central Catholic matchup would create plenty of excitement, although North Andover and Methuen will work to keep that from happening. Andover and Central are the Hatfields and McCoys of the Merrimack Valley and always bring enthusiastic supporters. For Methuen facing Central, super-athletic Rashidat Agboola has over four kills per game and a basketball scholarship to BU. Central counters with uber-setter crafty Carolyn Eddy.

In the South D1 Semifinals, powerhouse Barnstable runs up against undefeated New Bedford, for the right to face the Marshfield/Brockton winner. You can never count the champion out, and Barnstable could be peaking at the right time. Junior Maura Manley of New Bedford has over 300 kills and over five kills per game. For Barnstable, Maribeth Martin has over 500 assists this season.

In D2 Central, two good games appear, with defending champion Medfield hosting Westboro and Hopkinton hosting Medway. The Medfield-Westboro match winner will be favored to capture a Final Four slot.

The D2 South brackets have shown that strength of schedule matters, with Bishop Feehan's rigorous nonleague schedule potentially the tempering needed to propel them into a final with favored perennial power Bourne, if they get by the Fontbonne Ducks.

What we can say is that the next ten days will give us the best opportunity to see the best local high school volleyball. Which is why we watch.

Lady Raider Notes: Congratulations to setter Colleen Hanscom signing a letter of intent to play basketball for Post. Melrose travels to Jamaica Plain tomorrow night for their 7 p.m. match with undefeated Boston English. Travel time and parking are unknowns for local fans.