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 Let’s take a look at some of the teams in the first round match-ups for all three divisions.

 Thank you to all of the coaches who have supported the coverage of the kids throughout the season!

 Note that the numbers next to each team are the seedings announced by the NHIAA for each region based on a random draw. They do not correlate with team performance and standings on the season. 

 Click here to view the tournament schedule for each division. 

 

Division I

Region 1:

Merrimack (5) at Hollis-Brookline (4) 

The winner plays Nashua North

 Hollis-Brookline is one of the stronger teams in the division. This team has a lot of good players with playoff experience, after losing in the Quarterfinals last year as the #2 seed. Hannah Close has been outstanding for them on the outside, racking up over 70 kills on the season. Close is joined by Jessica Cooper and Angelina Leonard who have been terrific on both ends of the floor all year. This Cavaliers squad will be a tough first-round exit. 

 

Nashua South (6) at Bishop Guertin (3)

Winner plays Alvirne

 The Purple Panthers sort of flipped the switch halfway through the season, winning their last four games after starting 0-5. Their previous two wins came against this Bishop Guertin team last week, with big performances from Outside Hitter Natalie Boyle and Setter Anne Sherman. The two have worked together all season, forming a powerful offensive duo with good chemistry on and off the court. We’ll see if they can carry this momentum on the road as they look for another win against a good Cardinals team.

 The good news for the Cardinals is that they have seen this Nashua South team twice within the last six days. I wouldn’t be surprised if Abby Rosen spends a lot of time in the film room early this week. Bishop Guertin will look to Madison Keating and Julia Foster as the front runners for this offense. In their last matchup against the Purple Panthers, Keating tallied 5 aces, and 8 kills, on 12 digs. Foster led the team in assists with 14. Look for them to come out swinging early, and make the Purple Panthers play at their pace.

 

Region 2:

Bedford (5) at Keene (4)

Winner plays Concord

 The Bulldogs are a very good, well-rounded team with lots of weapons on both ends of the floor. They have dominated their opponents winning sets 24-1 on the season. This team is very poised and ready to capitalize on any mistakes. Lindsey Pierson has been dominant at the front of the net for the Bulldogs, racking up 16 blocks, 15 aces, and 28 kills over the last three games. They also have a standout Setter in Caleigh O’Connell who just registered her 1,000 career assist last week. Did I mention she was only a Junior? 

 

Region 3:

Portsmouth (5) at Dover (4) 

Winner plays Winnacunnet

Dover is another one of the clear favorites in this division, after a tremendous regular-season record of 10-0. Tory and Rachel Vitko have been terrific all year for the Green Wave. The two sisters have combined for over 200 aces and 100 kills on the season. Dover also has two really good players in Jordan Gilbert and Charlotte Albert who are having a very strong season. This team is a perennial powerhouse that has given teams a lot of trouble. They are also a very tough first-round exit.               

Region 4:

Timberlane (3) at Londonderry (2)

Head Coach Matt Leonard has done a terrific job with his team this season, picking up good wins over Nashua North and Pinkerton before their season was canceled. These two also matched up earlier in the season, with Londonderry prevailing 3-0 in both games. Kelsey Sanborn was big in that series for the Lancers tallying 17 kills on 10 aces with 7 digs. Jordan Galluzzo also factored in with 7 kills and 13 aces. Look for them to have strong performances in another good matchup against the Owls at home. 

 

Division II

Region 1:

Somersworth (4) at Coe Brown (1)

The Bears are returning all six of their starters from last year. A season where they were the runner ups in the division two tournament. Emily Morris, Kaitlyn Miller, and Annelise Wade have been really good all year for the Bears. This team is very well rounded, and well-coached by Renee Zobel. The Bears have a lot of talent with good playoff experience and are hungry to get back to the finals.

Somersworth comes into this one having only played three games all season. Madi Smith has been tremendous for the Hilltoppers racking up 24 kills, 26 digs, and 16 aces during that span of games. If Somersworth can find a way to shut down Wade and Molly Ewing at the front of the net, it will be tough for the Bears to put up points without senior outside hitter Jesse Davis.

 

Oyster River (3) at St. Thomas (2)

 St. Thomas had a good end to the regular season winning their last three games against Keene and Farmington. Kristie Holtz has many versatile players on her squad who have been big contributors on both ends of the floor for the Saints. Kaitlyn Ford and Kateri True have been good for this team on the outside.

 The Saints also have a standout Sophomore in Ashleigh Von der Linden who is a force at the net with her height. St. Thomas is at home for this one, and they’re anxious to get another crack at this Bobcats team after losing their first matchup earlier in the year.

 My Bobcats have looked good throughout the season, picking up big wins over Portsmouth, Winnacunnet, Coe Brown, PCA, and this St. Thomas team. Oyster River also faced Spauldiong and Dover three times in the season, who have just one loss in division one.

 This could be beneficial for the Bobcats. Kim Gowell, Maggie Sylvester, and Emma Hampton have all been terrific defensively with over 100 digs each on the season.

 Oyster River also has a standout freshman in Emilia Cavicchi, who has 122 assists on the season. Second on the team behind Lauren Hoppler. This team has the talent, the coaching by Cassandra Sweatt and resilience to make a deep playoff run however it won’t be an easy first-round going up against the rival Saints.

 

Region 2:

Laconia (5) at Winnisquam (4) 

The winner plays Prospect Mountain

Laconia hasn’t played a game since early October due to schedule cancellations from other teams because of the virus. The Sachems lost their starting and backup setter last week, however, Coach Myers is confident that her team will step up and fill in for the missing pieces. Libero Sierra Halligan is averaging 20 digs per contest and has been pivotal for their serve receive and defense all season. On the offensive side, Norah Dunleavy is averaging 6 kills per game on the outside, and Caitlin Dunleavy is expected to step up in the setter position moving forward. This team looks very different than it did back at the start of the season, however, the depth and resilience of this Sachems team put them in a good position to make a playoff run. 

 

Region 3:

Milford (5) at Pelham (4)

Winner plays Souhegan

Milford comes into this matchup having only played 5 games. Two of which were against this Pelham team where the Spartans won 3-0 and 3-1. Izzy Unsworth has been dominant for the Spartans throughout the season with over 39 kills and over 50 digs and aces in just 5 games. The Spartans are also thrilled to get their captain setter back in Emma Tronkowski, who racked up 24 assists, 10 digs, and 2 aces last week in her first game back. Look for much of the Spartans offense to flow through these two as Milford tries to advance to the prelims against Souhegan.

 

Region 4:

John Stark (4) at Plymouth (1)

Plymouth is coming off a huge win against Gilford, who was undefeated before the Bobcats came into their gym and snapped the streak on Thursday night. “This was a big win to take down the undefeated Gilford,” said coach VanScoter. “But more importantly, helps us get ready for the upcoming tournament.”

 Gilford had no answer for Abby Bassingthwaite, who had 21 kills on the night. She has been outstanding all year on the outside, giving teams a lot of trouble with her aggressive hits. Bassingthwaite is joined by Makayla Marucci, Mackenzie Tatham, and Erin Tole who have all been terrific this season. We’ll see if their momentum carries over against John Stark on Wednesday night.  

Fall Mountain (3) at Hanover (2)

Hanover went undefeated throughout the regular season going 6-0 while outscoring their opponents 18-1 in sets. The Marauders have a stellar freshman setter in Talia Draft who has been a very important piece to this offense all year. Hanover’s middle hitter Esther Hacker has also had a terrific third season. In her first three games, she tallied 28 kills and 16 aces for her team. It’s a shame we haven't got to see how good the Marauders are yet due to the integrated divisions. They get a chance now, in this tournament. 

 

Division III

Region 1:

Mascoma (3) at Sunapee (2)

It’s been a few seasons since Mascoma has won a playoff volleyball game. This season, the Royals finished 2-5, with a 3-2 loss against the Sunapee Lakers earlier in the schedule. Coach Ramage says that they are always competitive with Sunapee, and they are excited to get another crack at them in this first round. Mascoma will look to Jedyn Bates, Audrey May, and Cardigan Loupis for big contributions on Wednesday night as all three are coming off terrific seasons with the Royals. 

 

Region 2:

Nute (4) at PCA (1)

Jen and I will be at PCA on Wednesday to cover this first-round matchup. The Eagles won their first two matchups against Nute earlier in the season. Outside Hitter Linsey Hatfield tallied 17 kills and 17 aces in that series. PCA also has a cast of Johanna Skubisz, Madison Kniphfer, and Bella Oulette who have been a big factor in the Eagles offense and defensive success all year. We’ll see if Kevin Carreiro and his team can get the win at home, after an early first-round exit just a year ago. 

 

Farmington (3) at Kennett (2)

Farmington came away with the win back in week two against the Eagles by a final score of 3-0. Farmington started red hot, winning their first 8 games of the season. However, they are on a three-game skid after losing to Prospect Mountain and St. Thomas twice last week. While those two teams are in division two, I don’t think it will be enough to phase the Tigers as they look to go up to Kennett and move onto the second round.

While the record isn’t quite what the Eagles would have wanted coming out of the season, Head coach Craig Bartolomei says they “always play well and are ready to compete.” Jozelyn Henry and Olivia Arias have been the front runners for Kennett throughout the season. “Blocking is what we do best,” says coach Bartolomei. The Eagles have been working all week on getting bodies in front of the net and receiving drills in preparation for this game. This would be a huge first win of the season for the Eagles if they come away with the victory in the first round.

Region 3:

Belmont (5) at Newfound (4)

Winner plays Moultonborough

Newfound has had a week off to prepare for this game, after schedule changes made by the NHIAA. Bailey Fairbank has been outstanding for the Bears all season. She has surpassed her record for digs and is 55 kills away from 500. Newfound is also excited about middle hitter Paulina Hawkins, who coach Fairbank says is very versatile, and always steps up when she needs to. This team has a lot of playoff experience, after losing to Inter-Lakes in the Semi-Finals last season. They look to make another playoff run with their first matchup at home against Belmont on Monday.