MARBLEHEAD — You could say there’s nothing better than avenging a previous loss.
The No. 6 Marblehead volleyball team (19-2) did just that Tuesday, defeating No. 11 Burlington 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15) in the Division 2 Round of 16.
The Magicians, led by Northeastern Conference Player of the Year Greta Sachs and Coach of the Year Killeen Miller (announced Tuesday), got payback after Burlington swept the Magicians 3-0 during the regular season.
That mid-September defeat was the last time Marblehead lost a match. Since then, the Magicians have rattled off 13 consecutive wins, dropping only three sets during the stretch.
“I’m really proud of these kids,” Miller said. “The game on Sept. 19 left a sour taste in our mouths. We thought we played OK, but they were a competitor we wanted to beat. So, when we saw the bracket lining up, it was awesome to see them back in. After warmups, the kids were like, ‘We got this.’”
Despite Tuesday’s sweep, the first two sets could have gone either way.
Burlington led 17-13 in the opening set before Marblehead rallied. Sachs (8 kills, 3 blocks) helped flip momentum with three aces during a 6-0 run to give the Magicians a 19-17 lead — and they never looked back. Another ace from Samantha Walker made it 23-21 before Marblehead closed out the set 25-21.
When asked what made the difference early, Miller pointed to teamwork.
“I thought we started playing more as a team,” she said. “In the first two sets, we were kind of afraid to overstep or really go for it. I told the kids: Our only choice right now is to put it all on the line, go and work together, and no matter what happens, lean into one another.”
In the second set, Sachs and Lila Moniz (11 kills) were too much for Burlington. Sachs dominated around the net while Moniz took over on the outside and sealed a 25-23 win with a kill.
“I think you saw the nerves get the best of us in games one and two,” Miller said. “I didn’t think we were playing our best ball. I thought we kept chasing and in the second game, I looked at our team and they were gassed. We called a timeout and regrouped.”
As opponents have keyed in on Sachs – who has faced double and even triple blockers – other Magicians have stepped up.
“When everyone watches our film, Greta’s the one kid everyone’s prepping for. Lila, too,” Miller said. “They’re putting up serious blockers against her, and for Greta, she’s been crushing it all year. I told her, ‘Don’t fear yourself. Take initiative and feel confident in those big moments.’”
That next player up has been Moniz.
“She’s fantastic. That kid is just working so hard this year,” Miller said. “Last year, when we ended the season, I felt Lila had a different flavor in her mouth. Even today, I looked at our coaches and said, ‘This is her game.’ I told Eva Burke to put the ball in her hands because she’s going after it. She’s not afraid to step in and I’m just so proud of her.”
Burke followed through with 27 assists, while Sydney Faris added 15 digs to help power Marblehead into the Elite 8, where it will face No. 3 Longmeadow.
Although the Magicians are underdogs on paper, Miller is excited for the challenge.
“These kids have a lot at stake here,” she said. “They’ve earned their sixth-place rank in the state and we’re super proud of that. Every day, we go out knowing we’ve got only big games going forward. I think it took a little bit to get our feet underneath us tonight, but once the kids did, they really played well.”
