WESTWOOD — Lynnfield’s volleyball season came to an end Wednesday evening in the Division 3 state semifinals. The No. 4 Pioneers fell to top-seeded Bellingham in straight sets of 25-17, 25-14, 27-25 at Westwood High. Bellingham advanced to its third consecutive state final.
Although Lynnfield’s season is over, coach Brent Ashley said he couldn’t be more proud of his team’s effort and progress.
“Sometimes, your luck runs out. The team we played against tonight was good,” he said. “The kids they had are the same kids they’ve been rolling out for the last three years.”
Ashley said the Pioneers (21-3) exceeded expectations thanks to a balanced team effort, rather than relying on one standout player.
“I think we overperformed based on what everyone else’s expectations were of us,” he said. “The last few years, we were kind of in the middle of the pack, but when this group started winning and really found their rhythm playing together, it got them excited. It felt special in a different sort of way.
“In the past, we had Ella Gizmunt, who is a Division 1 volleyball player, so we just leaned on her,” Ashley said. “This year wasn’t necessarily an individual success story. Everyone on the team had to contribute. It took Audrey Manning having an amazing season as a junior, and it took Alexia Vaquerano coming out of nowhere and having an incredible senior year. It was a year of surprises — and a great surprise at that.”
Ashley praised his three senior leaders — Olivia Kelter, Vaquerano, and Marianna Axiotakis — for their leadership and growth.
“They’re irreplaceable. I saw those kids grow up. I think this is my seventh year as head coach and I think the first few years, I felt like I inherited the program from Michelle (Perrone) and didn’t necessarily feel like those kids were my own” Ashley said. “I feel like these were the first kids that I literally watched grow up in my program. From their eighth grade year all the way to now, I saw them as kids and now they’re adults. They’ve grown up. It transcends volleyball because they’re such special kids.”
And high points will be remembered more than the sting of a semifinal loss, according to Ashley.
“To beat Lynn Classical was a tough match because all those kids play club together and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “Then, we faced Old Rochester and to take that trophy home 3-0 was one of the coolest feelings. I told the seniors on the bus that they won’t remember the feeling of losing in the Final Four; they’ll remember what it felt like to have that trophy in front of 200 of their classmates.”
