MIAA boys' volleyball tournament: Seedings and pairings, Divisions 1 and 2
The two frontrunners in D1 are a team that last won a championship in 1992 (Brookline) and another that has not won it all since 2007 (Natick). Brookline (18-1) held the top spot in the Globe rankings all season and earned the top tournament seed, but Natick (16-2) can arguably call itself the hottest team in the state after winning its last 16.
The shock of losing three match points and the final two sets in
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Newton North, which won that semifinal and then the final in five sets each, is trending down due to injuries. When healthy, the fourth-seeded Tigers (13-7) took Natick and Brookline to five sets. No. 3 Needham (17-5) and No. 5 Lexington (18-2) are both strong contenders who can not be counted out either.
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Division 2 is led by the same three top contenders (No. 1 Agawam, No. 2 Westfield, No. 3 Wayland) as last season. Only four teams have ever made the D2 finals: these three and North Quincy, which has since been moved to D1.
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This trio made for quite the spectacle last season when Wayland reverse-swept Agawam in
Now Agawam (19-1) is on the opposite side of the bracket — Westfield (17-4) and Wayland (12-8) on a possible semifinal collision course — but could meet the team that accounts for its only loss in the regular season, No. 5 Chicopee Comprehensive, in a semifinal.
For Agawam, Chicopee Comp. (13-7), and No. 4 West Springfield (15-5), this is the best chance in the near future to claim a title. Each is slated to move up to Division 1 for the 2026 season.
Who will seize the opportunity?
AJ Traub can be reached at
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