EJ Perry knows what he is doing. The fourth-year Salem boys volleyball mentor always selects the right players, draws up the correct plays and most importantly, offers the proper words of motivation to his team – one that hasn’t lost in the last four years.

On Saturday, Oct. 13, Perry watched his squad earn its 71st straight win, capping its fourth consecutive undefeated season and positioning the team for a fourth straight Division I state title. The Blue Devils hosted second-seeded Londonderry and honored Salem’s 10 seniors before the match, then downed the Lancers, 3-1.

Salem took game one, 28- 26, and won game two, 25-19.

Londonderry prevailed in game three, 25-18, before the Blue Devils secured their No. 1 ranking with a 25-22 win in game four. Senior Dan Kinney, a four-year varsity player, provided the secret behind his coach’s success.

“A lot of us knew Coach Perry was the (varsity boys) basketball coach, and that makes us look at him as someone who takes coaching seriously,” said Kinney. “Growing up, I knew him as a great basketball coach, but now the volleyball players know how much he cares about the teams he coaches because of his approach.”

Kinney, a captain who set the tone for this year’s squad following the graduation of 2006 Player of the Year Tim Sadowski, led the Blue Devils to a 24-16 advantage in the first game. The Lancers fought back to even the score at 24 before Kinney moved to the front row to record two consecutive kills for a 28-26 win.

“Tim was a big part of the team, I played with him for three years,” said Kinney of Sadowski, now playing volleyball at Sacred Heart University.

“But I had Josh (Klecan) and Mark (Graziani) in the back row. Tim (Briggs) has really come around too. If I have confidence in being a team leader, it’s because of them and knowing there’s a comfort level of playing with them.”

Game two saw Salem’s seniors take over, giving fans a reason to drown the sounds from the Londonderry faithful.

Four-year player Ryan Woelfel had seven kills, four blocks and three assists to control the net, while senior Eric Wilson added one service point and one dig; Dan Tiner added 12 kills in the second game.

The Lancers kept pace in game three, taking the victory despite strong defense from Sean Stewart and senior Bill Kindgon’s two kills and two blocks. The Blue Devils took a 20-16 lead in game four behind four straight Kinney kills.

Kinney finished with 29 kills, five blocks and eight service points. Tiner notched 12 kills and four blocks. Bill Webster totaled eight kills and two blocks.

Senior Andrew Dickie recorded four kills and two blocks, and newcomer Sean Daher added depth off Perry’s bench.

Settling into the back row were seniors Mark Graziani, with 10 digs and 12 service points, and Josh Klecan, who recorded nine digs and nine service points.

Two-year varsity player Tim Briggs put up a solid effort with 38 assists and six kills.

“Coach has taught us it doesn’t matter who we’re playing but how we play that night, and that there’s always a better team out there,” said Kinney. “No matter who you’ve beaten, there is always someone who can beat you waiting out there. He’s a great motivator, and it’s really helped me become a better captain for the younger players on our team.”

The Blue Devils completed a perfect regular season with a 16- 0 mark. Salem hosts Coe-Brown in the Division I quarterfinals on Thursday, Oct. 18.