LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield volleyball team will enter uncharted playoff waters this fall when the Pioneers — thanks to new alignments that will be put into effect for the next four years — will move to Division 2.
The Pioneers have dominated Division 3 in the past 10 years with seven North titles and two appearances in the state championship. But if they hope to keep their streak of seven consecutive North division championships alive, they will have to do it in a division that is loaded with powerhouse programs that include the likes of 2016 North Division champion Bishop Fenwick, Arlington Catholic, Danvers, Burlington and Melrose, along with upstart Hamilton-Wenham.
Lynnfield, which now is the smallest of the 28 schools in Division 2, was one of only three teams moved up from D3 to D2, along with Essex Tech and Whittier Tech.
Adding to the Pioneers’ challenges this year is the loss of six seniors including Cape Ann League Player of the Year, Katie Nugent, CAL First Team all-star Olivia Pascucci and CAL Second Team all-star Rebecca Albanese. Nugent (284 kills), who is playing at Endicott this fall, and Pascucci (165 kills) were a powerful 1-3 punch offensively, while Albanese led the team in service points (228) and Foley led the team defensively with 175 digs. It remains to be seen who will step up and take over their roles.
Last year, Lynnfield finished the regular season 16-4 to earn the No. 2 seed in the North Division 3 tournament. The Pioneers cruised through the Division 3 North brackets without coming close to dropping a set, defeating Ipswich in the quarterfinals, Lowell Catholic in the semis and previously undefeated and No. 1 seed Notre Dame Academy of Tyngsboro.
The season came to an end in the state semifinals when the Pioneers were swept by Case, which went on to win the title.
The Pioneers have just four returning players with some varsity experience in seniors Emory Caswell, Elana Kotler, Maxine Boyle Ali McPherson and Makayla Maffeo. Boyle and Caswell have net potential as they finished second and third respectively in blocks last year, while Kotler was third in assists.
The good news is sophomore Melissa Morelli is also back. Morelli, who had a breakout season last year as only a freshman, worked her way into the starting lineup early in the season and ran the offense. A 2016 CAL Second Team honoree, led the team in assists (290). She was second to Albanese in serving points (213) and registered a team-high 47 aces along with a 90.4 percent serve percentage. She was fourth in kills (48) and also fifth in digs (72).
Lynnfield opens the season Wednesday, Oct. 5 against Ipswich at home (5:30). The Pioneers have several non-league matches on their schedule, including home-and-away series with Pope John and North Andover. Last year, Lynnfield swept both matches against the Tigers and split a 2-game series against North Andover.
The last week of the season will be a challenging one, with matches against Hamilton-Wenham at home Oct. 18, Middlesex League powerhouse, Reading, on the road, Oct. 20, 2015 Division 2 North champion Arlington Catholic on the road Oct, 24, and finally, Pope John, also on the road, Oct. 25. The Pioneers split two matches with the Generals, both of them 5-set affairs, while they were shutout by the Rockets, 3-0, and also lost to the Cougars, 3-1.
