The Londonderry High School Boys’ Volleyball team’s season came to an unexpected end last week when the team was defeated by the Dover High School Green Wave in the quarterfinals.
The Lancers finished the season with their second consecutive undefeated regular season, winning all of their 16 games and headed into the State Championship as the number one seed.
Because of the team’s #1 seed, the Lancers got a bye in the first round of the State Championship and hosted the Dover Green Wave, the number eight seed, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, June 4.
Despite beating the Green Wave 3-1 in the regular season, back in the first week of May, Dover presented LHS with a much more difficult task in their second meeting.
The match went to five sets, something that Londonderry only had to deal with twice in the regular season, and the outcome was a 3-2 win for Dover.
Londonderry quickly found out that the quarterfinal match wouldn’t be a walk in the park as DHS took the first set by a score of 25-20.
Londonderry snapped back in the second with a 25-19 set win, but then went an extra frame in the third with a tight 24-26 loss.
The Lancers were able to battle back in the fourth set winning in another close contest 25-23, but in the fifth and final set, Dover spoiled Londonderry’s chances of a title with a 17-15 win.
Senior Matt Doyle had four assists and 22 digs in the match, while fellow senior Ethan Munro ended his year with 16 kills, 28 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks.
Senior Tyler Brown also had a final game as a Lancer, getting 26 kills, 21 assists, five digs, and an ace.
Sophomore Ethan Saranich had five kills and two blocks in the game and fellow sophomore Gavin Doughty got eight kills, three digs, and three blocks.
Senior Crosby Nolan had three kills and two blocks, senior Connor Koza finished with five kills, one dig, and two blocks, sophomore Kai Hou had eight digs and sophomore Liam Evans had one dig.
On a positive note, a few Londonderry players were named to the All-State Teams by the New Hampshire Volleyball Coaches Association.
Seniors Tyler Brown and Matt Doyle were named as First Team members.
Senior Ethan Munroe was given Honorable Mention and Brown was named this year’s Player of the Year as an Outside and Rightside Hitter and Setter.