Cavs advance to semi-finals

Cavs+advance+to+semi-finals

Liam Flaherty, Sports Writer

The Cavs are moving on! The men’s volleyball team defeated the Pinkerton Astros Tuesday in the Quarterfinals of the Division I playoffs. Tuesday’s meeting was the second of the season between the two schools and HB came out as the victor in the both. The match was over after four exciting games which were scored 25-23, 25-22, 25-14 and 25-20.

HB won the first game of the match but Pinkerton was able retaliate and win a back and forth game two. The Cavs would only lose one game though, and went on to win the entire match after winning games three and four.

In front of a large home crowd, the Cavs came out with high energy. Hoping to make short work of the visiting Astros, the Cavs made some mistakes early and found themselves in a hole. Down by a sizable amount, it seemed as though Pinkerton was in control.

But the Cavs didn’t give up. Propelled by Aaron Campbell ’15, this year’s 2015 Division I Player of the Year, Bobby Ripley ‘15 and Nick Wood ‘17, the Cavs were able to storm back and eventually win game one by a score of 25-23.

Game two was a close one throughout but the Cavs were unable to hold off the Astros at the end. A consistent Pinkerton attack mixed with some defensive mistakes by the Cavs allowed the Astros to steal game two by the score of 25-22.

Impressive showings in games three and four were just what the Cavs needed after their game two loss. Hardworking efforts on both sides of the net from Tucker McIlwrath ‘16 and Zac Crooks ‘16 allowed the Cavs to build momentum which would propel them through both games. Constant communication on the court and hard work on defense led the Cavs to a 25-15 victory in game three and a 25-20 win in game four.

One win in the 2015 playoffs has been secured for the Cavaliers. Their next opponent will be the Timberlane Owls as they travel to Nashua North to compete in the semifinals match on Thursday. The contest begins at 5:00 and is just down the road from HBHS. If the Quarterfinals game was any indication, this semis match will be a very exciting and intense one. With the game being so close to the Hollis-Brookline area, it’s a great opportunity for everyone to attend and cheer on their fellow classmates. The support would be greatly appreciated by the players and would provide a fun time for all.