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Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
MIAA boys' volleyball tournament: Favorites, sleepers, players to watch for Divisions 1-2
Western Mass. powerhouses make up the top pair in Division 2, but will Wayland make a push after last season's finals appearance? Here's a preview of the brackets: Division 1 Favorite : No. 1 Brookline. Sleeper : No. 5 Lexington. Players to watch : outside/setter Branch Barnes (Natick, Sr.), middle Andrew Kurdziel (Needham, Sr.), outside Ale Luciani (Lexington, Sr.), setter Eric Su (Cambridge, Sr.), outside Kris Vaivars (Brookline, Sr.), outside Simon Vardeh (Newton North, Sr.). Best first-round matchup : Thursday, No. 17 Newton South at No. 16 St. John's Prep. Advertisement Longest first-round road trip : Thursday No. 39 Lowell Catholic to No. 26 Barnstable, 98.6 miles. Analysis : While Bay State teams earning the top seeds is was expected, the behemoths of Needham (which was a set away from four-peating last spring) and Newton North (won four of the last five volleyball seasons, girls included) are just the Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. No. 2 Natick has not won since 2007 and top-seeded Brookline is seeking its first title since 1992. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up These four only lost to each other last postseason, and could make up the semifinals by themselves, but some teams sense the door could be open this time around. Middlesex League champion Lexington (5-seed) and No. 7 Cambridge from the Dual County League each took a set against Brookline. Watch out for No. 22 Milford and No. 23 St. John's (Shrewsbury), which are not long removed from semifinal appearances and can be potent if playing their best. Advertisement Division 2 Favorite : No. 1 Agawam. Sleeper : No. 5 Chicopee Comprehensive. Players to watch : outside Aleksandr Bak (West Springfield, Sr.), outside Finn Bell (Wayland, Jr.), libero Tri Duong (Latin Academy, So.), outside Joe Culhane (Agawam, Sr.), outside Zach Kukharchuk (Westfield, Sr.), Noah Johnson (Chicopee Comp., Jr.). Best first-round matchup : Thursday, No. 23 O'Bryant at No. 10 Medfield. Longest first-round road trip : Thursday, No. 37 Lynn Tech to No. 28 Frontier Regional (Deerfield), 108 miles. Analysis : Last season provided fireworks at the end, with reverse sweeps in the semifinals and finals. Of the top three teams, the winner was the one that only had to face one of the other two. It's the same three at the top, but instead of Westfield at No. 1, it's Agawam. Wayland at No. 3 will try to prevent one of the last two champions from doing it again. Chicopee Comp. enters at No. 5 after its sophomore-heavy roster made a stunning run with the 22-seed last postseason. That core returns for its junior year, but with a move up to D1 looming next season. The Colts account for Agawam's only loss on the year. No. 14 Greater Lowell and No. 9 Latin Academy, each which lost to Chicopee Comp last postseason, have strong groups that hope to venture further this time. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
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 Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Governor Healey joins veterans and their families for Memorial Day observance in Agawam
AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – Governor Maura Healey joined veterans and their families for a Memorial Day observance in Agawam. This ceremony united people to honor the brave service members who've given their lives for our country. The sun shined on the rows of white and grey headstones of fallen military heroes at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, adorned with American flags. Veterans and their loved ones gathered to honor their memory and bravery during a ceremony. 'I've been here before it a couple of times because my father, this is her first time, and it's very moving,' said Joseph Calvanese of Ludlow. 'You don't feel sad, you feel happy, and I guess that's the way we're supposed to feel. But, you know, it's not as easy, you know, as you think,' added Maria Calvanese of Ludlow. Governor Maura Healey recognized these families for their strength and relicense as they came out to visit their loved ones in their final resting place. 'I ask everybody across Massachusetts to step out of themselves for a moment and find a way to reflect on maybe to pray for, maybe to think about service in your own way, and to do it to honor the legacy of those who served,' said Governor Healey. She stood alongside other officials like State Senator John Velis and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno in giving their remarks. As we remember and honor these fallen soldiers, officials express that we must also recognize the importance of their sacrifice in defending our freedoms and keeping us safe. 'We live in a free country because of them. I get to walk my son to the park, and have some peace and tranquility because of the sacrifice that generations upon generations of American service members made. And whether it's the freedom of speech to believe in whatever I want to believe in,' said Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services, Jon Santiago. Governor Healey also noted the work being done in Massachusetts to support veterans, like building the new Veterans home in Holyoke and activating the military asset security strategies task force to make sure the military in the commonwealth is advocated for in Washington, DC. And her next big goal will be making investments to reduce the homeless population among veterans. Governor Healey also addressed that Military recruitment numbers are low across the country, and she said she hopes more people will consider joining. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Agawam Chinese Association seeking volunteers for drum and boat teams
AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – It's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This month, one local organization is inviting the community to learn more about their culture. The Chinese Association of Western Mass held several events across the region over the past weeks. In Agawam, they celebrated with traditional performances and shared history through activities. Their association is also volunteer-based. President Linda Hall told 22News, 'We're always looking for volunteers, we have a lot of volunteers, and we also recently started a waist-drum team, we're looking for dancers.' Waist-drum dance is a 2,000-year-old tradition. It's performed at their events year-round. The association will also take part in Springfield's dragon boat festival in July. They are looking for boaters. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Agawam to begin construction on new high school
AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – The Town of Agawam is set to break ground on its new high school. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on June 3rd at the current high school on Cooper Street. Last summer, the Massachusetts School Building Authority approved the new high school, allowing Agawam access to $96.8 million in state funding. Free ticket to Six Flags New England Memorial Day weekend for veterans, military members The over 230,000 square foot, two-story building is estimated to cost $229.9 million. As mentioned, just under $97 million will be funded from the state, and $129.4 million will be the cost from the town, equal to an average annual tax increase of $465-$488 per residential taxpayer over 30 years. Mayor Christopher Johnson said that the first phase of construction will begin on the left side of the existing school and should be finished by December 2026. The second phase of the project should then be completed by December 2028. 'Our high school turns 70 years old this year, it was built in 1955. It will be nice for students to have a nice, modern, state-of-the-art school, especially in the Science and Technology area. We did the best we can to retro fit what we have, but this is going to be a modern state-of-the-art facility,' said Mayor Johnson. The Town of Agwam has a website dedicated to updates and the timeline of the project. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
