BY SAPNA PATHAK
It wasn’t pretty, but the boys of Salem High volleyball certainly took satisfaction in the final result.
Traveling to face Londonderry in a highly anticipated Division I match-up, the Blue Devils kept their undefeated streak intact, earning their 60th consecutive win despite facing more than 300 doubters in the stands.
“They thought we’d go into the Lancer-Dome and wouldn’t be able to take it,” said Blue Devils head coach E.J. Perry of Salem’s 3-1 win on Wednesday, Sept. 12. “They had a huge student body cheering them on, the biggest I’ve ever seen in any regular-season match since boys volleyball was sanctioned by the NHIAA (New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletics Association), and we just had to look it straight in the eye and decide whether we wanted to be undefeated or not when we walked out of there.”
The Blue Devils took the first game, 25-22, before the Lancers took game two by the same score. Senior Dan Kinney, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, came up with 22 kills, eight blocks and 14 service points. Starter Josh Klecan completed 100 percent of his 28 passes and added seven kills.
Ryan Woelfel controlled the backcourt with 11 kills, while defensive specialist Mark Graziani returned to the starting lineup and contributed five digs; junior Sean Stewart finished the night with four digs.
The Blue Devils took the third game, 25-13, before quieting the crowd with a 25-21 victory in the final game.
Jumping to a 23-16 lead in the fourth game, Londonderry fought back with a 5-1 run, tightening the score to 24-21. Kinney’s final kill came unexpectedly, ending the game and preserving the Blue Devils’ untarnished record.
“He came out of nowhere with it,” said Perry of the game-winning play. “It was so back-and-forth the whole night, especially that third game. We had the lead, they made it close and then Dan … He was the story, the star, the ‘it’ of the night.”
Setter Tim Briggs put up a career-high 39 assists and had six kills; sophomore sensation Dan Tiner had eight kills playing outside hitter, and Billy Webster played his best game of the year, according to Perry, with seven kills and seven blocks.
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On Thursday, Sept. 13, the Blue Devils took down Mascenic Regional, 3-0. Salem took the three games, 25-12, 25-7, and 25-15, for its 61st consecutive win.
Tiner led the crew with 15 kills, four blocks and two digs, while defensive specialist/setter Chris Barnes added 14 assists, and sophomore outside hitter Jared Scali finished with seven kills and nine service points.
Salem hosts Keene on Thursday, Sept. 20, in a rematch of last season’s Division I championship.
“We’re the only undefeated team in the NHIAA (boys volleyball standings), and everyone’s making contributions,” said Perry. “These teams are challenging us and making us work hard, but we’re all up for it.
And these guys, every single one of them, are ready to step up when they have to.”